All articles tagged with #ohio train derailment
Norfolk Southern has reached a $600 million class action settlement over the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which includes payments for environmental cleanup, community health programs, and long-term monitoring. The company will also pay nearly $235 million to cover the EPA's cleanup costs and additional penalties, though it does not admit responsibility for the incident.
Norfolk Southern has reached a $310 million settlement with the EPA and DOJ following a train derailment in Ohio that released over a million pounds of hazardous chemicals. The agreement, pending court approval, includes measures to improve rail safety, health monitoring, environmental monitoring, and a $15 million civil penalty. The company will also fund long-term water monitoring and community health programs. This settlement follows a separate tentative $600 million agreement to resolve lawsuits from affected residents and businesses. The NTSB continues to investigate the derailment's cause, focusing on a failed wheel bearing.
A study conducted by researchers from Carnegie Mellon and Texas A&M universities reveals that high levels of acrolein, a chemical irritant, were detected near the site of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, weeks after the incident. The levels of acrolein were up to six times higher than normal levels recorded before the disaster, raising concerns about potential health risks from longer-term exposure. The study also found elevated levels of formamide, which can cause eye and skin irritation, drowsiness, and nausea. Residents continue to experience symptoms and seek answers about the cause. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) detected acrolein as well, but the researchers' measurements were more sensitive. The researchers emphasize the complexity of the chemical mixture and the need for further investigation into the health effects of the contaminants.
Baltimore officials blocked Clean Harbors from using the city's sewer system to treat contaminated runoff water from the Ohio train derailment site, citing concerns about risks to the city's public sewage plant. The federal Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing the remediation, which is being carried out by Norfolk Southern, the railroad that operated the derailed train. The situation in Baltimore is the latest challenge to cleaning the train derailment site amid opposition from communities unwilling to accept waste.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, expressing support for parts of two bipartisan rail safety bills that include measures such as funding additional training, better advanced notifications, and accelerating the phase-out of older tank cars. However, Shaw did not fully endorse the Railway Safety Act, which includes provisions calling for two-person crews on all railroad locomotives. The legislation was introduced in the weeks following the Feb. 3 East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment, which released toxic chemicals into the surrounding area.