Ohio sues Norford Southern Railroad over East Palestine derailment

Ohio filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Railroad to ensure it would pay for the cleanup. and environmental damage caused by a burning train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border last month, the state’s attorney general said Tuesday.

Demand also seeks to force the company to pay for soil and groundwater monitoring in the coming years and economic losses in an East Palestine village and surrounding areas, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said.

“The effects of this easily preventable accident will reverberate throughout Ohio for years to come,” Yost said.

As a result of the crash on February 3, no one was injured. half of the approximately 5,000 inhabitants of East Palestine had to be evacuated over several days when first responders deliberately burned toxic chemicals in some derailed vehicles to prevent an uncontrolled explosion, leaving residents with health problems.

Government officials say tests over the past month have found no dangerous levels of chemicals in the air or water in the area.

Last week, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw apologized to Congress for the impact the rail derailment had on the region, but made no specific commitment to pay long-term medical and economic damages.

Norfolk Southern said Tuesday in response to the lawsuit that it is listening to the community’s concerns and plans to take additional steps to address some of them.

The lawsuit also asks the railroad to reimburse first responders and government agencies for the costs of responding to the disaster.

It is not yet known how much money the state is asking for because the response is ongoing, but Yost has made it clear the cost will be huge.