After a freight train loaded with vinyl chloride derailed in Ohio, the railroad had to pay for the cleanup.
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the essentials in brief
- A freight train loaded with vinyl chloride derailed in the US state of Ohio.
- The chemicals pollute soils, water sources and are extremely harmful to the environment.
- Now the railway company has to pay for the cleanup.
Authorities have ordered the Norfolk Southern railroad company to pay for the cleanup after a freight train laden with toxic chemicals derailed in Ohio, US.
“Norfolk Southern will pay to clean up the mess they have made and for the trauma they have inflicted on this community,” EPA chief Michael Regan said on Tuesday.
Railway company has to bear the costs
Mandatory EPA orders require Norfolk Southern to identify and clean up contaminated soil and contaminated water sources. The company must also reimburse the cost of cleaning up buildings in the affected community of East Palestine. If the railroad does not clean up the environmental damage, the EPA will take over the work and demand “triple” the cost from Norfolk Southern, the agency said.
The freight train derailed in East Palestine on February 3. A large fire broke out and toxic gases were released into the environment. Among other things, the freight train had transported vinyl chloride, a chemical classified as carcinogenic.
The authorities claim that tests have shown that the air and water in the region are safe. However, many residents are skeptical and attribute headaches to the accident, among other things. After the train derailment, pressure had grown on President Joe Biden’s administration to intervene more vigorously.
