Smoke rises from a derailed freight train in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 4, 2023.
Dustin Franz/AFP via Getty Images
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Dustin Franz/AFP via Getty Images
Smoke rises from a derailed freight train in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 4, 2023.
Dustin Franz/AFP via Getty Images
The US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern over a major train derailment that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, last month.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, accuses Norfolk Southern Railroad and Norfolk Southern Corporation of “unlawfully polluting” the country’s waterways and violate the Clean Water Act, which prohibits groups from dumping toxic pollutants into waterways without government permits.
The department is also meant to hold the company and its subsidiary accountable for the “full cost” of the cleanup, with $120,000 for every day Norfolk Southern is found to be non-compliant.
The federal government is the latest group to sue Norfolk Southern in response to the February 3 derailment. Ohio State, residents and some local business owners have also filed a complaint related to the accident that occurred when 38 carriages from a Norfolk Southern train swerved off the tracks in East Palestine and set off a lengthy fire. several days.
At least 11 cars contained hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, as well as benzene residue from previous shipments. Exposure to these chemicals can lead to an increased risk of cancer, fetal development problems, and damage to the skin, liver, kidneys, lungs, and other organs.
Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate while government officials worked to prevent an out-of-control explosion. On February 6, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine approved an operation to avoid an explosion by intentionally burning hazardous materials.
The lawsuit says that after the derailment and its aftermath, a variety of hazardous materials entered the land and many waterways in the area, including the Ohio River. The complaint cites the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as saying thousands of aquatic animals have been killed.
Norfolk Southern paid more than 24 million USD in reimbursements and cleanup costs, and the company has announced it will establish funds to address long-term concerns, including health care, property value and water quality.
Norfolk Southern spokesman Connor Spielmaker told NPR in a statement: “Our job now is to make progress every day in cleaning up the site, supporting residents whose lives have been impacted. by the derailment and investment in the future of East Palestine and surrounding areas”. . “We are urgently working to the direction of the US EPA and making progress on a daily basis. That remains our focus and we will continue to work until the right outcome is achieved.
from WednesdayHarmful chemicals such as vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride have not been detected by their indoor air screening program at any point since the derailment, the Environmental Protection Agency said. Contaminated soil and wastewater are further removed from the site and transported out of the site.
