A fire train derailed on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border last month, causing environmental damage and cleanup costs that State has filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern to ensure it pays for.
On Tuesday, the Ohio attorney general filed a 58-count federal lawsuit against Norfolk Southern, alleging that the company’s negligence and recklessness caused a train carrying dangerous chemicals to derail last month in the village of East Palestine, endangering the lives of those nearby and doing substantial economic harm to the area.
In the lawsuit, which was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Norfolk Southern is accused of breaking several local, state, and federal environmental regulations. It is also accused of trespassing and creating a public nuisance.
In order to compensate the state for financial losses and harm to natural resources, the lawsuit aims to have the firm pay civil penalties, costs, and damages.
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East Palestine Train Derailment
Almost soon after the train derailed on the evening of February 3, Norfolk Southern faced a growing number of legal repercussions. Local citizens have brought over 20 individual lawsuits to Ohio federal court.
Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh Shapiro, has requested that the Ohio border, which is close to the derailment scene, be investigated to determine whether any charges should be filed. In accordance with a law that is four decades old, the US. Environmental Protection Agency has mandated that Norfolk Southern clean up any derailment-related contamination and bear all associated costs.
The corporation has come under fire for both the derailment and its part in the decision to release and burn thousands of gallons of vinyl chloride off the train three days later, with the support of local and state authorities, in order to avert a catastrophic explosion.
Since then, federal and state authorities have undertaken tests on the water, soil, and air; however, some locals and unbiased specialists have expressed reservations about the validity of those findings.
To date, these tests have not detected significant quantities of vinyl chloride or other harmful substances.
Ohio is suing Norfolk Southern for its extensive and tragic history of derailments and releases of hazardous materials, which is detailed in the lawsuit, which cites the same law the E.P.A. uses. The lawsuit lists specific accidents and claims that the accident rate on the company’s trains “has nearly doubled in the past 10 years.
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