By Le Figaro with AFP
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The US government announced Friday to file a complaint against a railway company after the derailment of one of its trains, which caused environmental pollution in early February in a locality in Ohio. The Ministry of Justice said in a statement that it had filed a complaint against Norfolk Southern for having discharged pollutants into the environment after the accident, which upended the lives of the inhabitants of East Palestine and raised fears for their health.
He wants the group to pay penalties and be held liable for all costs related to the derailment. “When a Norfolk Southern train derailed last month in East Palestine, Ohio, it released toxins into the air, soil and water, endangering the health and safety of people in the surrounding localitiessaid Justice Minister Merrick Garland.
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” READ ALSO – United States: the derailment of a train in East Palestine turns into a political confrontation
A huge fire and some 2000 evacuations
«With this complaint, the Department of Justice and the EPA are acting to demand justice for the people of East Palestine and to ensure that Norfolk Southern bears the financial burden for the harm it has caused and continues to inflict on the population“, he added. This derailment caused a huge fire and some 2,000 evacuations. Among other things, the train was carrying vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic and highly flammable chemical used in the manufacture of plastic.
The railway authorities then proceeded to reject “controlled» vinyl chloride to avoid a possible explosion, releasing toxic fumes. Some residents have since reported experiencing various symptoms, including headaches and rashes, and said they feared they might end up with cancers in a few years.
Questioned by a senatorial commission, the CEO of the railway company said to himself “terribly sorry» and undertook to modify «safety culturewithin the group after several derailments. The accident shone the spotlight on Norfolk Southern but also, more broadly, on the evolution of the regulations in force within the rail sector.
