Feds reach $310M settlement with Norfolk Southern after toxic Ohio train derailment. Here’s what else the company has to do

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice have reached a $310 million settlement with Norfolk Southern after last year’s train derailment that spilled more than a million pounds of hazardous chemicals into the soil, water and air in Ohio.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice have reached a $310 million settlement agreement with Norfolk Southern after last year’s train derailment that spilled more than a million pounds of hazardous chemicals into the soil, water and air in Ohio. “If the settlement is approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Norfolk Southern will be required to take measures to improve rail safety, pay for health monitoring and mental health services for the surrounding communities, fund long-term environmental monitoring, pay a $15 million civil penalty, and take other actions to protect nearby waterways and drinking water resources,” the EPA said Thursday. The February 2023 derailment ignited a dayslong inferno, spewed poisonous fumes into the air, killed thousands of fish and left residents wondering if it’s safe to live in East Palestine. In the weeks following the disaster, officials said tests showed the air quality and municipal water were safe. But some residents reported a variety of health problems after the derailment, including rashes, nausea, bloody noses and trouble breathing. Thursday’s announcement stems from a civil lawsuit filed in March 2023. The DOJ sued Norfolk Southern on behalf of the EPA, alleging violations of the Clean Water Act from the discharge of pollutants and hazardous materials into waters. Norfolk Southern issued a statement Thursday saying it has reached an agreement with the DOJ, the EPA and the US Department of the Interior “to resolve all their claims and investigations arising from the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.”