East Palestine, Norfolk Southern Reach $22M Settlement Over Derailment

East Palestine, Ohio, and Norfolk Southern have reached a $22 million settlement to address claims related to a 2023 train derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. This agreement recognizes approximately $13.5 million already paid by Norfolk Southern and includes a $25 million commitment for upgrades to East Palestine City Park.

The derailment involved 11 rail cars transporting hazardous materials, leading to the intentional release and burning of toxic vinyl chloride from five cars to prevent a potential explosion, prompting evacuations and environmental concerns. As part of the settlement, Norfolk Southern and East Palestine have decided that building a proposed regional safety training center is "not feasible," with plans halted. Norfolk Southern will transfer about 15 acres acquired for the center back to the village, while still providing training for local first responders at other regional facilities.

Legal challenges continue, as residents dispute Norfolk Southern's $600 million settlement over the incident. They have requested a court to overturn a judge's mandate requiring them to post an $850,000 bond to appeal for more compensation and clearer information on contamination issues. Nearly $300 million of the settlement is withheld pending appeal, despite judicial approval in September. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)