Apocalyptic images from the derailment in the small town on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border inspired calls for railroad safety reforms.
FILE - In this photo taken with a drone, portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed the previous night in East Palestine , Ohio, remain on fire at mid-day, Feb. 4, 2023. The lawyers who negotiated a $600 million settlement with Norfolk Southern over thatin Ohio want residents to talk with them before deciding the historic deal isn't enough.
On Wednesday, the lawyers moved to address residents' fears that the settlement wasn't enough, saying compensation would vary based on the severity of the derailment's impact on each person. Several residents said after the settlement was announced Tuesday that they worried the money, once divided among many, wouldn't be enough to cover potential future healthcare costs should they develop cancer later.
The deal does include a provision to compensate people for personal injuries. Accepting that money would preclude a future claim over cancer or some other horrible illness that might develop, but area residents can decline the health money and still receive a payment for property damage. Gas station owner Anna Doss said she's optimistic that this settlement will help the town move forward though she's awaiting specifics of how the money will be divided up. Like many others in town, Doss is ready to try to put the derailment behind her although her business is struggling. She lost one quarter of her sales last year, and now her retirement plan is up in the air because her niece who had planned to buy the businesses moved away to Florida.
"We're fortunate that we have some retirements," she said. "But what about the people that don't? That want to get out of here, that are sick?" The railroad's CEO Alan Shaw acknowledged the deal would help remove some financial uncertainty for his company, but he argued during a presentation to investors Wednesday it would also be good for the town and help people recover.
East Palestine Health Concerns Lawsuit Norfolk Southern Ohio Derailment Railroad Safety Reforms Vinyl Chloride
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