Already, the rail company is facing multiple class-action suits from members of the East Palestine community over the Feb. 3 incident, which forced residents within a roughly 1-mile radius to evacuate their homes.
Some residents say they have suffered health issues since the incident, while others say they have found dead animals, including fish and chicken, in the area since the derailment. For the most part, those suing the rail company say they have lost income due to the evacuations, were exposed to cancer-causing chemicals and no longer feel safe in their homes.
Vinyl chloride, the chemical that was released by the rail company, is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a carcinogen that can increase one’s risk of liver cancer or damage with routine exposure.
One of the class-action lawsuits alleges that the rail company “discharged more cancer causing Vinyl Chloride into the environment in the course of a week than all industrial emitters combined did in the course of a year” in the U.S.
Norfolk Southern previously said it was “unable to comment directly on litigation.” But in a public update on Thursday, the company said that in addition to ongoing cleanup work, it was distributing more than $2 million in financial assistance to families and businesses to help with the costs of the evacuation. It also said it was creating a $1 million fund for the community. The company did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on Monday.
In an open letter, Shaw promised to stay in the area “as long as it takes to ensure your safety and to help East Palestine recover and thrive.”
As of Sunday, the Environmental Protection Agency had evaluated the indoor air in more than 530 homes, in conjunction with Norfolk Southern, and had not detected vinyl chloride above levels of concern in any of them. Meanwhile, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday that the municipal water was safe to drink, based on the results of sampling and tests…
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