The village of East Palestine and Norfolk Southern have announced a US dollar settlement of $ 22 million, in which all claims of the village were created from a catastrophic traction from 2023 near the border between Ohio-Pennsylvania.
The settlement must be used for the priorities that the village identified in connection with derailment. According to the joint announcement, which was published on the website of the village, about 13.5 million US dollars are also paid to the village. It also confirms Norfolk Southern’s commitment of 25 million US dollars for the continued improvements in the East Palestine City Park.
The derailment of the freight train in the village near the State Line Pennsylvania in February 2023 comprised 11 cars that transported dangerous materials. At least 1,500 inhabitants are subject to an command of evacuation, and days later there were feared officials who deliberately released a possible uncontrolled explosion and burned poisonous vinyl chloride of five rail cars and flames and black smoke.
In a later examination, the national transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that the vent and burning of the vinyl chloride was not necessary, since the manufacturer of the chemical was not to find that there was no dangerous reaction in the tank cars. Officials who made the decision – the governor of Ohio and the local fire chief, who led the answer – said that they had never told that.
Norfolk Southern and the village agreed that a proposed regional security training center in the village cannot be feasible and that work is not continued with the construction of the center. Norfolk Southern agreed to transfer about 15 hectares (six hectares) for the center to the village, and it is still obliged to train the first aiders of East Palestiner in other facilities in the region.
Additional legal measures are still pending. The residents, who question the 600 million classes in the amount of Norfolk Southern in connection with the crash , to continue your calling for higher compensation and further information about contamination.
Almost 300 million US dollars of the comparison were put on hold due to the complaint, although a judge approved the deal in September. The Holdout residents ask the Circuit 6th Circuit to prevent them from building them up to continue their claims.
The US government orders the railway operator Norfolk Southern to remove contaminated soil and water on the site of dangerous strain gassing in East Palestine, Ohio, where the officials try to convince the residents that their tap water can drink safely.
This agreement does not include any approval of liability or misconduct.
NTSB explained that the derailment was caused by a wheel bearing that showed the video that the video was on fire for more than 30 kilometers in advance, but was not caught in time by inaccurate stretching detectors.
The NTSB chairman Jennifer Homendy accused Norfolk in the south of the south of the investigation and that the company was threatened more than once with a summons before sending requested information to federal investigators.
“Norfolk Southern’s abuse of the party process was unprecedented and reprehensible,” she said.
