US freight company to pay $310 mn over East Palestine derailment

us freight company to pay $310 mn over east palestine derailment

The train derailment led to a large leak of toxic chemicals

The freight company responsible for a large toxical chemical spill in Ohio last year has reached a $310 million settlement with US authorities, officials said Thursday.

Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, were forced to evacuate in February 2023, when a Norfolk Southern train carrying chemicals derailed, covering the area in thick black smoke.

While there were no fatalities, people were forced to temporarily evacuate, and many of them reported health problems and poor drinking water as a result of the incident.

The issue swiftly became political, with both President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump making visits to the area.

In a joint statement Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) said the $310 million settlement would ensure that Norfolk Southern is held to account.

"My team has been laser focused on holding the guilty party accountable, directing and supervising the extensive cleanup activities since shortly after the derailment," EPA administrator Michael Regan told reporters.

Norfolk Southern has agreed to spend around $235 million on cleanup costs, and to pay a $15 million civil penalty to "resolve the alleged violations of the Clean Water Act," the DoJ and EPA said in a statement.

Other costs agreed to in the settlement include around $25 million for a 20-year health program to monitor affected individuals, and $30 million to measure water for the next decade.

Norfolk Southern will also put in place measures to improve the safety of transporting hazardous materials, including new monitoring devices and a more "rigorous" alarm protocol to detect overheated wheel bearings, Regan told reporters.

The cost of these changes is expected to cost Norfolk Southern approximately $200 million, and comes in addition to the $310 million agreed to in the settlement, he said.

"This company represents approximately 20 percent of the industry," he continued.

"I think it's safe to say that it is a game changer for the industry," he added. "And we hope that other companies follow suit."

Under the terms of the settlement, Norfolk Southern is not admitting liability for the accident, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim told reporters.

The $310 million announced by the DoJ and the EPA on Thursday comes in addition to a separate $600 million class action settlement signed off by a judge earlier this week.

da/bgs

OTHER NEWS

8 hrs ago

Switzerland thrash Hungary in Euro 2024

8 hrs ago

Cantlay has another steady round to stay within reach of 1st major title at US Open

8 hrs ago

Rise in badly-behaved tourists prompts Indonesia visa reassessment

8 hrs ago

Flag/ Fan Friday RWANDA! (Geography Now!)

8 hrs ago

Mistakes Everyone Makes When Ordering Food From Subway

9 hrs ago

Golden Brown Pizza Dough

9 hrs ago

5 Services the Middle Class Won’t Be Able To Afford in the Next 5 Years

9 hrs ago

PM Extends Eid al-Adha Best Wishes to Ethiopian Muslims

9 hrs ago

Germany: EURO 2024 opens with Germany's commanding win, Scottish fans celebrate spirit despite defeat

9 hrs ago

Le Mans-leading Ferrari hit with big penalty for BMW crash

9 hrs ago

Hosts Germany thump Scotland in Euro 2024 opening match

9 hrs ago

Are animals conscious? How new research is changing minds

9 hrs ago

Warnings over Guatemala's volcano tourist hotspot

9 hrs ago

I'm Retired. Do I Need to Worry About My Credit Score?

10 hrs ago

Hyundai Motor’s India arm aims for historic IPO, eyes $3B raise

10 hrs ago

Which Are the Tallest Mountains in the World? See Costs of Climbing Them

10 hrs ago

Kate returns to public events at Trooping the Colour

11 hrs ago

China’s Belt and Road Initiative a plus, the rest so-so on Hong Kong-Chiang Mai journey

11 hrs ago

Peru economy expands in April, highest growth in over 30 months

11 hrs ago

Top 15 mesomorph female celebrities you should follow

11 hrs ago

Italy recover from disastrous start to win Euro 2024 opener

11 hrs ago

Hong Kong: Dragon Boat Festival 2024 Drone Show 4

11 hrs ago

Ask A Doctor: How Does Encephalitis Enter The Body?

11 hrs ago

Bank Loan Growth: Insight into US Economic Resilience

11 hrs ago

Football: Defiant Kuroda, Machida answer critics of their style

11 hrs ago

Aussie Kim moves clear at LPGA Meijer Classic

11 hrs ago

Where did Ludvig Aberg go to college? U.S. Open win would give Texas Tech a rare Super Bowl-major double

11 hrs ago

Golf-Pavon, DeChambeau, Finau top crowded U.S. Open leaderboard

12 hrs ago

Celtics aim to regroup after Mavs avoid NBA Finals sweep

12 hrs ago

Massive News for Oracle Stock Investors

12 hrs ago

Again, Daily Trust's Garba Mohammed Wins Foreign Grant

13 hrs ago

‘Calm down’ – Ighalo’s message to Osimhen over Finidi

13 hrs ago

China: An Interactive Robo-Dog

13 hrs ago

Le Mans 24 Hours: Kubica tops warm-up, De Vries Toyota crashes

13 hrs ago

Sound Energy sells Morocco gas assets to Managem for $45.2 million

13 hrs ago

Everyone Is Talking About Caterpillar Stock. Is It a Good Long-Term Option?

13 hrs ago

These Cadillac Blackwing Le Mans Special Editions Look Nifty

13 hrs ago

"You can be president, too, with a criminal record": Steve Harvey takes dig at Trump in chat with VP Kamala Harris.

13 hrs ago

Which Countries Have Won The World Cup?

13 hrs ago

Scotland: Keane slams Robertson’s ‘rubbish’ assessment of ‘miserable’ 5-1 loss against Germany