Norfolk Southern will pay for Ohio property value decreases
- A Norfolk Southern train carrying chemicals derailed in Ohio in February
- The fund will pay those who sell property for less than the pre-crash value
- Many residents have said they don't feel it is safe to return home
FILE – This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk and Southern freight train that derailed Friday night in East Palestine, Ohio are still on fire at mid-day Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. The federal government filed a lawsuit Thursday, March 30, against railroad Norfolk Southern over environmental damage caused by a February […]
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(NewsNation) — Norfolk Southern has agreed to compensate residents in East Palestine, Ohio, for property value decreases caused by a train derailment that released toxic chemicals into the soil, air and water around the community.
The agreement was announced by members of the Senate, who said the company has agreed to establish a fund that will be used to compensate property owners whose homes are in a roughly five-mile radius from the derailment site and who sell their homes for less than what they were worth before the crash.
In February, a Norfolk Southern train derailed near East Palestine. Officials did a controlled burn of tanker cars carrying chemicals including vinyl chloride, out of fears the volatile chemical could spontaneously explode. Residents of the area were briefly evacuated, but authorities have repeatedly said it is safe for them to return.
Residents, however, are not convinced. Many in the area have reported health issues they attribute to the chemicals released into the air, ground and water. Independent testing also found new dioxins in the ground and some furnace filters. Dioxins are known to cause cancer and other health problems and can persist in the environment for a long time.
While the company has repeatedly said it will make things right, residents have suggested there is more to be done, including reimbursing those who want to move away instead of returning to East Palestine.
Norfolk Southern has faced scrutiny over the crash, which railroad workers have blamed on increasingly long trains and a lax safety culture. The rail company has faced grilling by the Senate as well as multiple lawsuits over the crash.
Senators also announced a bipartisan rail safety bill that includes regulations regarding wayside rail detectors, which can prevent derailments by alerting engineers to potential problems before they occur, as well as mandating two-person crews for certain trains and updates to rail inspection programs.
The bill also increases the amount the Department of Transportation can fine companies if they fail to meet standards.
Norfolk Safety has said it does not support the increased regulation suggested by Congress.
