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Ohio Train Derailment: Why isn't FEMA helping in East Palestine? | LiveNOW from FOX
On Feb. 3, about 50 cars on a Norfolk Southern Railroad train carrying vinyl chloride, a dangerous colorless gas, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a small community that is located along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. More LiveNOW from FOX streaming video
The company whose freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, causing a massive chemical spill last year has reached a $600 million settlement agreement with residents.
Norfolk Southern on Tuesday announced an agreement in principle to resolve a class action lawsuit brought by residents and businesses impacted by the derailment. If accepted by the court, the settlement will provide financial payments to members of the community and includes a voluntary program to compensate individuals for past, present and future injuries resulting from exposure to toxic chemicals, attorneys for the plaintiffs said.
"This is another promise kept by Norfolk Southern to make it right for the people of East Palestine and the surrounding communities," the company said in a statement.
This video screenshot released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shows the site of a derailed freight train in East Palestine, Ohio, the United States. (NTSB/Handout via Xinhua)
The settlement agreement would resolve all class action claims within a 20-mile radius of the derailment, and personal injury claims in a 10-mile radius.
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It comes after Norfolk Southern already pledged more than $100 million in community assistance to East Palestine and surrounding areas in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
"This resolution comes shortly after the one-year anniversary of the disaster and will provide substantial compensation to all affected residents, property owners, employees and businesses residing, owning or otherwise having a legal interest in property, working, owning or operating a business for damages resulting from the derailment and release of chemicals," said attorneys Seth Katz, Elizabeth Graham, Jayne Conroy and T. Michael Morgan, who are representing the plaintiffs.
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"We thank the Judge overseeing the litigation, the Honorable Benita Pearson, for her diligence and guidance, holding the parties to strict deadlines to reach a resolution or prepare the case for trial," said the attorneys," they added.
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Biden visits, speaks in East Palestine, OH
President Biden visited East Palestine, OH, a little more than a year after a train derailment spilled hazardous chemicals. Biden also met with offficials from the Environmental Protection Agency and met with local leaders.
The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train at the Ohio-Pennsylvania border on Feb. 3, 2023, resulted in millions of gallons of toxic chemicals being spilled into the environment.
The disaster led to many residents on both sides of the border abandoning their homes and suffering from various ailments. The Atlanta-based railroad has been making payments to residents forced to relocate but announced in December that the financial aid would stop on Feb. 9.
So far, Norfolk Southern has committed $104 million to the East Palestine community, including $21 million in direct payments to residents and $50 million in investments in the area over the next decade.
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The company released its preliminary first quarter 2024 financial results on Tuesday, announcing $3 billion in operating revenues. The report said the settlement agreement and other costs increased its operating expenses by $691 million.
Norfolk Southern previously reported a $1.1 billion hit last year due to expenses stemming from the incident, but still made $2.9 billion.
Norfolk Southern Corp. shares were down 1.27% in pre-market trading Tuesday morning.
FOX Business' Breck Dumas, Louis Casiano and Reuters contributed to this report. Read more of this story from FOX Business.