Vowing that Norfolk Southern “will be working tirelessly every day to get East Palestine back on its feet as soon as possible,” company CEO Alan Shaw visited the eastern Ohio village where a Norfolk Southern train derailed on Feb. 3, sending toxic chemicals into the air and onto the ground.
“I am here to support the community,” Shaw said in a Feb. 17 statement. “We know we will be judged by our actions, and we are taking this accountability and responsibility very seriously.”
Shaw released an open letter to East Palestine residents on Feb. 16.
“We will not walk away, East Palestine.
“When I visited East Palestine last week, you told me how the train derailment has upended your lives and how concerned you are about the safety of your air, water, and land. Many of you have also reached out to Norfolk Southern to share your fears, your anger, and your frustration.
“I hear you. We hear you.”
Shaw added, “[Norfolk Southern] will stay here for as long as it takes to ensure your safety and to help East Palestine recover and thrive.”
He said that “crews are cleaning the site thoroughly, responsibly, and safely,” and that the company’s Family Assistance Center “is helping community members meet immediate needs.”
Shaw also announced, “Together with local health officials, we have implemented a comprehensive testing program to ensure the safety of East Palestine’s water, air, and soil. And we have established a $1 million community support fund as a down payment on our commitment to help rebuild.
Hazardous Chemical Burn
On Feb. 3, an eastbound Norfolk Southern Railway train of 151 cars derailed in East Palestine. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), “38 rail cars derailed, and a fire ensued which damaged an additional 12 cars.”“There were 20 total hazardous material cars in the train consist—11 of which derailed,” an NTSB statement read.
Fears escalated in the immediate aftermath of the crash. Seeking to avoid an explosion, officials decided to release and burn vinyl chloride from five rail cars, which sent flames and black smoke billowing into the sky once more.
Vinyl chloride, a chemical used to make PVC pipes and other products, has received extensive attention as part of the emergency. The National Cancer Institute notes that vinyl chloride has been linked to cancers of the brain, lungs, blood, lymphatic system, and liver.
A Feb. 10 letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Norfolk Southern also mentions other potentially hazardous chemicals in the derailed tankers. It specifically notes the presence of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene, and butyl acrylate.
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway told residents at a Feb. 16 town hall that there were limited choices to address the chemical spill after the crash.
“There were two options: We either detonate those tanks, or they detonate themselves,” Conaway said. “Yes, harmful chemicals went into the air. I am truly sorry, but that is the only option we had. If we didn’t do that, then they were going to blow up, and we were going to have shrapnel all across this town.”
The suspected cause of the derailment is a mechanical issue with a rail car axle, according to the NTSB.
Norfolk Southern Not in Attendance at Town Hall
Residents expressed frustration at the town hall because of what many people called “a lack of transparency.” Representatives from Norfolk Southern were originally scheduled to attend, but the company backed out earlier on Feb. 16.“Today, we hoped to join local, state, and federal officials at a town hall to update the East Palestine community on the steps we are taking to thoroughly, responsibly, and safely clean up the accident site and to provide the latest results from ongoing water and air testing,” a Norfolk Southern statement explained.
“We also wanted to be available to provide information on resources from our Family Assistance Center.
“At the same time, we know that many are rightfully angry and frustrated right now. Unfortunately, after consulting with community leaders, we have become increasingly concerned about the growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event stemming from the increasing likelihood of the participation of outside parties.
“With that in mind, Norfolk Southern will not be in attendance this evening. We want to continue our dialogue with the community and address their concerns, and our people will remain in East Palestine, respond to this situation, and meet with residents.”
State and federal officials have repeatedly said that testing shows that the air and water in East Palestine are safe.
Since the derailment, numerous East Palestine residents have complained of headaches, skin rashes, blood in the stool, and vomiting, among other ailments.
At least 3,500 fish have been killed in various creeks in East Palestine and the Columbiana County area from the derailment’s chemical spill, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported.
Before the controlled burn happened, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine implored East Palestine residents to evacuate, calling the situation a matter “of life and death.”
On Feb. 8, a few days later, he held a press conference announcing that the evacuation order had been lifted and residents could return to their homes.
Multiple Lawsuits
Norfolk Southern is already facing multiple lawsuits involving the East Palestine derailment.Sen. Maria Cantwell (D–Wash.) announced on Feb. 17 an investigation by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation into railroad companies’ management of hazardous materials.
Cantwell wrote a letter to the CEOs of Norfolk Southern, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, CSX, Kansas City Southern, and Union Pacific requesting input on how to enhance safety.
In his press briefing on Feb. 17, DeWine said that he would ensure that Norfolk Southern covers all costs for the derailment’s damage, including any future expenses if it’s determined that the toxic chemicals spilled and released cause cancer and other ailments.
Pennsylvania Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro also authored a letter to the railway expressing concerns about its handling of the aftermath.
Shapiro, the former Pennsylvania Attorney General who took office as governor in January, specifically questioned Norfolk Southern’s handling of the controlled burn.
Norfolk Southern, Shapiro wrote, provided “inaccurate information and conflicting modeling about the impact of the controlled release that made protective action decision-making more difficult in the immediate aftermath of the derailment.”
The railway “failed to notify state and local response agencies initially of their intention to vent and burn all five cars containing vinyl chloride, rather than just the single car Norfolk Southern personnel identified originally,” he added.
The governor’s letter also noted that Norfolk Southern didn’t “immediately inform authorities as to the number of rail cars that contained dangerous chemicals” and that company officials didn’t “explore or articulate alternative courses of action to their proposed vent and burn.”
On Feb. 17, Norfolk Southern said that it has paid more than $2.2 million directly to more than 1,530 families and businesses to cover evacuation expenses.
The railway is offering a $1,000 “inconvenience” check to any person with an East Palestine zip code of 44413. Norfolk Southern has said that the compensation would not prevent residents from being involved in legal action against the company in the future.
Donald Trump Jr. announced on Twitter on Feb. 17 that his father, former President Donald Trump, would visit East Palestine on Feb. 22.
Another town hall meeting is scheduled for that date, though the time and location have not been announced.
The White House said on Feb. 17 that President Joe Biden doesn’t have plans to visit East Palestine.
It’s unknown whether Shaw or Norfolk Southern representatives will attend the upcoming town hall meeting.
