Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost speaks in Columbus, Ohio, February 20, 2020.
Julie Carr Smyth | AP
Ohio sued the railroad company South Norfolk on the derailment of a train carrying toxic materials in eastern Palestine, Ohio, last month, the Attorney General said Tuesday.
The 58-figure lawsuit alleges several violations of state and federal law, including hazardous waste, water pollution, air pollution and customary law negligence, state attorney general Dave Yost said during a press briefing. The state is in search of damages, civil penalties and a “declarative judgment that Norfolk Southern is liable,” he said.
“This derailment was entirely avoidable,” said Yost, adding that Norfolk Southern has seen an 80% increase in accidents over the past decade. “The results of this highly preventable accident will reverberate across Ohio and Ohio for a few years to come back.”
Yost is in search of reimbursement for the prices incurred by the state, including damage to natural resources, emergency operations, and economic damage to the state and its people. Yost said some businesses have lost significant revenue as people proceed to avoid the realm.
The state’s grievance sought a minimum federal compensation of $75,000 “as a formality”, but noted that “damages will far exceed that minimum because the situation in eastern Palestine continues to develop.”
In accordance with a grievance filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the derailment is certainly one of a “long string” of derailments and dangerous incidents at Norfolk Southern. The state says that since 2015, a minimum of 20 Norfolk Southern derailments have been linked to chemical discharges.
Norfolk Southern executives met with Yost this week to debate the relief programs the corporate will create with Yost’s office and others in the community, the corporate said in a Tuesday statement.
“We look ahead to working on a final solution with Attorney General Yost and others, coordinating along with his office, community leaders and other stakeholders to finalize the small print of those programs,” the corporate said.
On February 3, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying 11 tank cars carrying hazardous materials derailed near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border after which caught fire, sparking concerns about environmental and health impacts in the encompassing community.
This drone image shows the continuing cleansing of a part of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed in eastern Palestine, Ohio, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023.
Gene J. Puskar | AP
Railway employees reported feeling unwell while cleansing up the derailment site. Yost said on Tuesday that he had heard from people experiencing sore throats and other irritations while visiting the positioning, and noted that he himself experienced “discomfort” while on site.
The grievance alleges that substances from 39 wagons were released into the bottom, storm infrastructure and surface water, which eventually flow into the Ohio River.
Yost said “there’s lots we do not know yet” about whether the chemical spill may have a long-term impact on farmers and their livestock. He also noted homeowners’ fears that their properties would drop in value as potential buyers can be hesitant to maneuver in.
Norfolk Southern said on Tuesday it remained committed to finding an answer to “long-term health risks by establishing a long-term medical compensation fund.” The corporate also said it was working to supply tailored protection for home sellers should their property fall in value.
Yost asked Norfolk Southern to conduct future soil and groundwater monitoring at and across the derailment site and to ban the corporate from removing any additional waste from the positioning.
“The massive goal of this lawsuit is to ensure that that these long-term effects usually are not only not forgotten, but addressed,” Yost said.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw told a Senate panel last week that the corporate plans to completely clean up the positioning to “do it right”, adding that it’s “very sorry for the impact this derailment has had on the people of eastern Palestine.” and surrounding areas. society”.
Shaw also said Norfolk Southern will provide financial assistance to affected residents and first responders near the derailment site, promising greater than $21 million in cost recovery and investment.
“It has been an epic disaster and it is going to be expensive to scrub up,” Yost said on Tuesday. “Substantial dollars are needed to bring the people of East Palestine back as close as possible to the situation they were in before February 3.”