The first full week of February marks the second anniversary of the toxic Norfolk Southern Railway derailment in East Palestine near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, and politicians descended on the Northeast Ohio city to show their support.
State and federal dignitaries, including Vice President and former Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, newly minted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine visited East Palestine on Monday to mark the occasion.
“President Trump just wanted to deliver a message that this community will not be forgotten, will not be left behind, and we’re in it for the long haul in East Palestine,” NewsNation quoted Vance as saying.
As a senator, Vance supported the Railway Safety Act of 2023. Ostensibly, it would have made various regulatory changes to make railroads safer, such as increasing the maximum fine for rail safety violations and mandating railroads deploy more defect detectors to identify potential problems earlier.
Despite immense coverage, Congress did not pass the measure. According to a Youngstown television station report, Vance blamed then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, for not bringing the measure up for a vote.
On the eve of the anniversary, East Palestine and Norfolk Southern announced a $22 million settlement to resolve the village’s claims related to the derailment. The village plans to use the money for “priorities identified by the village in connection with the train derailment,” according to a release.
Since Feb. 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern has paid the village $13.5 million. The railroad also previously settled a $600 million class action lawsuit.
As part of the settlement, Norfolk Southern and the village have agreed that a proposed regional safety training center is “not feasible.” However, the railroad promised to train East Palestine’s first responders at other regional facilities.
“This announcement provides the clarity on the direction we’re taking as a village,” WTAE in Pittsburgh quoted East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway. “This is an opportunity for our future, to evaluate our priorities, to make sure our resources are used, and to address ongoing community impacts and concerns.”
Norfolk Southern agreed to transfer ownership of roughly 15 acres of land it acquired for the center to East Palestine for other use. Village officials will determine how to use the land.
“I know how much of a priority that this is for Vice President Vance,” WFMJ-TV in Youngstown quoted Zeldin as saying. “And because it is such a priority for him, I will make sure that for the EPA it is our highest priority day in day out doing everything in our power to make sure this is completed as quickly as possible.”
In his remarks to the community, the vice president promised President Donald Trump and the current administration would be more transparent than President Biden’s former administration.
“I would say, ‘well, when is the cleanup going to be done,’ and they’d give me a date, and I’d call a couple weeks after that date and I’d say ‘is the cleanup done’ and they’d say ‘no, it’s going to take another few months,’” the Youngstown television station quoted Vance as saying. “I’m not saying everything’s going to go perfect because it never does, but we’re always going to be honest and transparent with the people here.”
Meanwhile, a new lawsuit alleges people died because of the derailment. According to the Associated Press, it marks the first time such a claim had been made.
“Our clients want truth. They want transparency,” the Associated Press quoted attorney Kristina Baehr as saying. “They want to know what they were exposed to, which has been hidden from them. They want to know what happened and why it happened. And they want accountability.”
Baehr represents roughly 750 people in the lawsuit.
