Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Files Federal Lawsuit Against Norfolk Southern Railway Over Fiery Train Derailment in East Palestine

The state of Ohio has filed a federal lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Railway over a fiery train derailment that occurred on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border last month. The derailment caused the release of over 1 million gallons of hazardous chemicals and endangered the lives of the 5,000 residents of East Palestine.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the lawsuit on Tuesday, which seeks to make sure the company pays for the cleanup and environmental damage caused by the derailment. The lawsuit also seeks to force the company to pay for groundwater and soil monitoring in the years to come and economic losses in the village of East Palestine and surrounding areas.

Yost outlined the 58-count complaint, saying that Norfolk Southern violated numerous state, federal and Ohio common laws and violated the state’s Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Half of the residents of East Palestine had to evacuate for days when responders intentionally burned toxic chemicals in some of the derailed cars.

The lawsuit is the latest step in the state’s effort to hold the company accountable for the derailment. Yost said that the state is committed to making sure the company pays for the damages and that the residents of East Palestine and surrounding areas are protected.