DOJ wants the railroad held accountable for cleanup.
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Norfolk Southern Railway Company following the train derailment last month in East Palestine, Ohio.
The lawsuit seeks accountability from the railroad company for “unlawfully polluting the nation’s waterways and to ensure it pays the full cost of the environmental cleanup.”
The railroad’s CEO has issued an apology and said the company will assume responsibility for paying for the cleanup. “I’m terribly sorry for the impact this derailment has had on the folks of that community,” he told the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works earlier this month. “We’re going to be there for as long as it takes to help East Palestine thrive and recover.”
The railroad company on its website says it has already provided $27.9 million to the East Palestine community. The cleanup costs are expected to far exceed that amount.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit seeks $64,618 a day in penalties for violation of the Clean Water Act, plus a daily civil penalty of $55,808, amounting to $2,232 per barrel of oil or hazardous substance.
A separate lawsuit has been filed by the State of Ohio to ensure that environmental damage is paid for.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the people of East Palestine and surrounding areas whose lives and health have been affected by the toxic spill from the train derailment.
- For the appropriate cleanup of the soil and water in the area of the spill and subsequent fire.
Sources: Just The News, Washington Post
