East Palestine and Norfolk Southern have announced a $22 million settlement resolving all of the village’s claims arising from the disastrous 2023 train derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border that prompted a national reckoning on railroad safety.
The settlement is to be used for priorities the village identifies in connection with the derailment, but it also recognizes about $13.5 million that Norfolk Southern has already paid to the village to pay for upgrades to the water treatment plant and replace police and fire equipment among other things, according to the joint announcement posted Monday on the village’s website. It also reaffirms Norfolk Southern’s commitment of $25 million to ongoing improvements to East Palestine City Park that is in addition to this settlement.
The freight train derailment in the village near the Pennsylvania state line included 11 cars transporting hazardous materials. Area residents evacuated and, days later, officials fearing a possible uncontrolled blast intentionally released and burned toxic vinyl chloride from five rail cars, sending flames and black smoke into the sky. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board later determined that it wasn’t necessary to blow open those vinyl chloride cars and burn the plastic ingredient.
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