Derailments

The judge ruled that East Palestine residents deserve timely compensation for the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment, according to court filings.

National Transportation Safety Board staff recommended Tuesday that new guidance be developed for deciding when first responders use the vent and burn tactic and that federal standards should be developed for trackside detectors.

The agreement is designed to address all damage claims against the companies within a 20-mile radius of the derailment and, for residents who choose to participate, personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius of the derailment.

The new federal requirement was a milestone in organized labor’s long fight to preserve the practice of two-person crews and came amid increasing scrutiny into railroad safety.

CEO Alan Shaw told a small gaggle of local media reporters in East Palestine that the company is safer than it has ever been, that it’s fulfilled all of the commitments it has made so far and that it’s continuing to work to bring the village of East Palestine back to life.

The EPA said it will study vinyl chloride to determine whether it poses an “unreasonable risk to human health or the environment.″

It’s been eight months since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine. Ever since the derailment, and the burn off of vinyl chloride in five tanker cars, some residents have chosen to live in hotels, miles away, and they’re not ready to go back home.

The company will have to also monitor for medical issues of workers brought in to clear and rebuild the tracks.

Change is coming to the rail industry in the U.S. — but whether it's for the better or worse depends on who you ask.