05/23/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/23/2024 18:29
Casey: "We must do more to…ensure Pennsylvanians are never forced to go through this hell again"
Washington, D.C. - Today, after the announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice have reached a $310 million settlement with Norfolk Southern for damage caused by the 2023 train derailment, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement:
Under today's settlement, Norfolk Southern has agreed to:
Today's settlement follows a complaint filed by the United States against Norfolk Southern in March 2023 for unlawful discharges of pollutants and hazardous substances caused by the train derailment. In February 2023, EPA issued a unilateral administrative order, holding Norfolk Southern accountable for the damage done to the community, required cleanup of spilled substances and impacted soils. In total, Norfolk Southern estimates that it will spend more than $1 billion to address the contamination caused by the East Palestine derailment and improve rail safety and operations, which includes this settlement with the United States valued at over $310 million, as well as around $780 million in environmental response costs incurred by Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern has estimated its costs since the derailment will exceed $200 million in rail safety enhancements, including those required by this settlement.
Since the Norfolk Southern train derailment in February 2023, Senator Casey has been fighting relentlessly to ensure victims of the disaster receive the resources, reimbursement, and support they need to recover. Onnumerousoccasions, Casey has pressed Norfolk Southern to meet its obligation to compensate the residents of Darlington and play a significant role in the clean-up and damage remediation process, pushing Norfolk Southern to provide $1.2 million in total funding for Darlington Township. He has also led efforts to protect the health of Darlington residents, repeatedlyadvocating for the federal government to devote significant resources to expand access to clean public drinking water and increase health assistance and monitoring in the region.
Casey has also made preventing future derailments a major legislative focus in the wake of the Darlington derailment. In March 2023, he introduced the bipartisan Railway Safety Act, which would take key steps to improve rail safety protocols and reduce the possibility of derailments. He has also repeatedlypushed the Department of Transportation and Norfolk Southern to take steps to strengthen safety protocols and decrease the likelihood of future derailments.
See Senator Casey's full record on the Norfolk Southern derailment HERE.
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