Ohio AG Sued Company over East Palestine Train Derailment

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern for its role in the East Palestine train derailment last month. The lawsuit alleged 58 total violations, including under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; state hazardous waste, solid waste, air pollution, and water pollution laws; and common law theories of negligence, public nuisance, and trespass. According to the complaint, the spill of over 1 million gallons of hazardous chemicals was a “direct result” of the company’s actions. The lawsuit claimed that Norfolk Southern has had an 80% increase in accidents in the last decade. AG Yost is seeking response costs, damages, civil penalties, and a judgment holding the company liable.

On the one-year anniversary of the derailment, AG Yost issued a press release providing an update on the investigation and lawsuit, stating that he was waiting for his office to gather all the facts before proceeding with a settlement, and that he could not “in good conscience, agree to a settlement without a detailed understanding of what happened, who is responsible, and how we avoid other communities like East Palestine from being victims to this type of incident.”