Gov. Shapiro Announces Agreement With Norfolk Southern To Pay $7.38 Million In Initial Response Costs, Costs To Businesses, Residents From Train Derailment

On March 6, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced he has secured an initial commitment from Norfolk Southern to pay $7.38 million for damages to Pennsylvania and its residents resulting from their February 3 train derailment that impacted residents in Beaver and Lawrence counties. 

This funding commitment is a starting point, and Gov. Shapiro will continue pushing Norfolk Southern for further accountability and to cover additional costs that may accrue.

In a direct meeting, Gov. Shapiro demanded Norfolk Southern cover the entirety of the costs incurred by Commonwealth agencies and local fire departments that responded to the derailment, as well as set up a $1 million community relief fund for businesses and residents in Beaver and Lawrence counties who lost revenue as a result of the incident. 

This is a start, not an end, to Gov. Shapiro holding Norfolk Southern accountable for the damage it has caused to the Commonwealth. 

At the Governor’s request, Norfolk Southern agreed to pay the Commonwealth to recoup losses due to its train derailment and cover costs that may accrue over time with continued testing and monitoring.

“Norfolk Southern’s train derailment has hurt communities in Western Pennsylvania, and to make matters worse, the company’s disregard for crisis management best practices injected unnecessary risk into the situation and created confusion for residents and first responders,” said Gov. Shapiro. “Norfolk Southern must do better – and the entire cost of this derailment and its impact on the Commonwealth must be picked up by them, not the people of Pennsylvania. My Administration is doing whatever it takes to help Pennsylvanians impacted by this incident, and I will continue to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for their actions.”

$7.38 Million In Assistance

As a result of Gov. Shapiro’s work, Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay--

-- $5,000,000 to reimburse local fire departments in Western Pennsylvania that need to replace contaminated or damaged equipment that was used in responding to the derailment. 

-- $1,000,000 for a Community Relief Fund to be run by Beaver and Lawrence County officials to support business owners and residents impacted by the derailment. 

-- $950,000 to cover the Department of Environmental Protection’s work in Western Pennsylvania.

-- $400,000 for the Department of Health’s services, including--

     -- Costs associated with the Health Resource Center (HRC) – which has already served more than 250 residents since opening on February 28 – like rent, supplies, and staff time. 

     -- Costs associated with DOH’s Poison Control Call Line, which has tracked every call related to train derailment. 

-- $30,000 to cover the PA Emergency Management Agency’s (PEMA) staff time since the Commonwealth Response Coordination Center (CRCC) activation. 

Norfolk Southern’s agreement to pay these costs is separate and apart from any otherwise applicable legal obligations that might be imposed. 

For more information on Pennsylvania’s response, visit PEMA’s Train Derailment Dashboard webpage.

NewsClip:

-- WESA: CMU Researchers Find High Levels Of A Hazardous Chemical Acrolein Weeks After Ohio/PA Train Derailment [Acrolein Also Used In Shale Gas Fracking Fluid ,To Treat Shale Gas Drilling Impoundments]

[Posted: March 6, 2023]  PA Environment Digest