Key takeaways:
- The United States Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency have filed a lawsuit against railroad Norfolk Southern for environmental damage caused by a train derailment.
- The derailment occurred in early February, leading to the evacuation of half of the 5,000 residents of East Palestine, Ohio.
- The Department of Justice is seeking to hold the company accountable for “unlawfully polluting the nation’s waterways and to ensure it pays the full cost of the environmental cleanup.”
The United States Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency have filed a lawsuit against railroad Norfolk Southern for environmental damage caused by a train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.
The derailment occurred in early February, leading to the evacuation of half of the 5,000 residents of East Palestine, Ohio. Responders intentionally burned toxic chemicals in some of the derailed cars to prevent an uncontrolled release.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement, “When a Norfolk Southern train derailed last month in East Palestine, Ohio, it released toxins into the air, soil, and water, endangering the health and safety of people in surrounding communities.”
The Department of Justice is seeking to hold the company accountable for “unlawfully polluting the nation’s waterways and to ensure it pays the full cost of the environmental cleanup.”
The lawsuit filed Thursday is the latest step in the federal government’s effort to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for the environmental damage caused by the derailment. The government is also seeking to ensure that the company pays for the full cost of the environmental cleanup.
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