Category: Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Pays $1 Million to Pennsylvania Communities Harmed by February Derailment

When a 151-car Norfolk Southern Railway freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3 near the Pennsylvania border, the smoke plume could be seen for miles. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported 38 rail cars derailed, fire damaged an additional 12 cars, and of the train’s 20 total hazardous material cars, 11…


Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Asks Biden to Declare Major Disaster After Toxic Train Derailment

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday urged President Joe Biden to declare a major disaster in response to the toxic train derailment that occurred in East Palestine in February. The incident resulted in the release of hazardous chemicals from several rail cars operated by Norfolk Southern and raised health concerns among local residents. DeWine emphasized…


9 Railcars From Norfolk Southern Train Derail in Pennsylvania, No Hazardous Chemicals on Board

NEW CASTLE, Pa.—Nine railcars from a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in Pennsylvania, with no hazardous chemicals on board and no reported injuries, fire department and company officials said. The derailment happened late Wednesday outside of New Castle, the company said in a statement. “Our crews responded immediately and are actively working at the site,”…


IN-DEPTH: Nearly Three Months After East Palestine Toxic Train Disaster, Residents Still Live in Fear: ‘Is it safe to take a shower?’

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio—Until Feb. 3, most Americans had never heard of East Palestine, the village of 4,700 residents in eastern Ohio about a mile from the Pennsylvania border. Most people could not even identify it on a map, or accurately pronounce it, lifelong resident Gregory Mascher admitted. “East Pali-steen, not East Pali-stine,” Mascher said with…


EXCLUSIVE: East Palestine’s Toxic Nightmare Continues–Residents Battle Anxiety and Uncertainty Months After Train Catastrophe

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio—Until Feb. 3, most Americans had never heard of East Palestine, the village of 4,700 residents in eastern Ohio about a mile from the Pennsylvania border. Most people could not even identify it on a map, or accurately pronounce it, lifelong resident Gregory Mascher admitted. “East Pali-steen, not East Pali-stine,” Mascher said with…


At Least 11 Norfolk Southern Train Cars Derailed, 2 Taken to Hospital

At least 11 cars in a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Alabama, leading to at least two hospitalizations, officials said. “According to Norfolk Southern, the train crew was briefly trapped in the engine room because the engine tilted over. There were no major injuries, but RPS was called to the scene to evaluate the crew…


At Least 11 Norfolk Southern Train Cars Derailed, 2 Crew Members Taken to Hospital

At least 11 cars in a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Alabama, leading to at least two hospitalizations, officials said. “According to Norfolk Southern, the train crew was briefly trapped in the engine room because the engine tilted over. There were no major injuries, but RPS was called to the scene to evaluate the crew…


DOJ Sues Rail Company Over Pollution from Ohio Derailment

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Railway over the pollution caused in East Palestine, Ohio, by the Feb. 3 derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials. The complaint (pdf), filed March 31 in the Northern District of Ohio, seeks to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for “unlawfully polluting the nation’s…


Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Rail Safety Bill Hours After Another Derailment

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), co-sponsor Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio), and other Ohio U.S. representatives introduced the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act at a March 30 press conference hours after a BNSF Railway train carrying ethanol derailed and caught fire in Raymond, Minnesota. Residents near the crash site were evacuated. No injuries were reported and…


Pennsylvania School District Seeks Damages From Norfolk Southern for Train Derailment

Blackhawk School District in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, says its students and staff have suffered medical problems including rashes, eye irritation, and respiratory problems since the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment and chemical disaster in East Palestine, Ohio. The district, with school properties located within 15 miles of the derailment, says the disaster also caused…