© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Local residents Peggy and Mark Vaeth protest against the removal of hazardous materials from the Ohio train derailment at the Republic and Energy hazardous waste facility in Romulus, Michigan, U.S., February 26, 2023. REUTERS /Rebecca Cook
2/2
By Clark Mindock
(Reuters) – Ohioans sue norfolk south Corp (NYSE:) over a train derailment that spilled toxic chemicals urged a US judge on Monday to stop the company from destroying the wreckage without giving them ample opportunity to inspect the crash site.
The derailment of the train operated by Norfolk Southern in eastern Palestine on February 3 forced thousands of residents to evacuate as rail crews drained and burned toxic chemicals.
Lawyers for the residents told U.S. District Judge Benita Yalonda Pearson in Youngstown, Ohio, during a hearing that the company had given them just two days to inspect nearly a dozen railcars that crashed while transporting hazardous materials. They asked the judge to give their experts more time before Norfolk Southern removes and destroys the remains, which was scheduled to begin Wednesday.
A company lawyer told the judge that Norfolk Southern was on a tight schedule to clean up debris at the site before a March 10 deadline set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and that giving residents and their experts more time could result in delays in remediation of the accident site.
Pearson said site remediation was the most important goal, but asked if a compromise might be available. She asked if Norfolk Southern could take the low-priority cars to an offsite storage location for further inspection, or if other options were available.
“Is there an opportunity for you to allow more time if necessary?” Pearson asked.
In a letter sent Thursday to attorneys for nearby residents who have filed more than a dozen class action lawsuits alleging the violent accident put their health and property at risk, Norfolk Southern had said it would begin removing and destroying the cars after the crash. March 1 and promised to allow those residents and their representatives just two days to inspect the damage beforehand.
Among the chemicals known to be on board were vinyl chloride, a highly flammable carcinogenic gas used in the manufacture of plastic products that can cause dizziness, headaches and drowsiness when inhaled in the short term and a rare form of liver cancer after chronic exposure, according to the EPA.
The EPA announced Saturday that it would temporarily halt Norfolk Southern’s shipment of material from the accident site, but promised those efforts would resume soon.