Norfolk Southern train derailment overview:
- Who: Norfolk Southern Railway has suffered a pair of incidents slightly more than a month after a Feb. 3 train derailment led to concerns of contamination in East Palestine, Ohio.
- Why: Norfolk Southern suffered a train derailment near Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday, while one of its workers was killed in an accident while working at a facility in Ohio on Tuesday.
- Where: The Norfolk Southern accidents have all occurred in Ohio.
Norfolk Southern Railway has been involved in a pair of incidents in Ohio over the past week, including the death of a conductor on Tuesday and a train derailment in west Central Ohio on Saturday.
The events come just more than a month after Norfolk Southern suffered a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3 that caused hazardous materials to spill out into the surrounding area, prompting contamination concerns and lawsuits.
Officials from Norfolk Southern, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a Clark County, Ohio, hazmat team, meanwhile, have said they found no signs of a spill following a derailment of 20 train cars near the town of Springfield on Saturday, CNN reports.
The officials reportedly said the derailment also did not happen near any protected water sources, meaning the derailment could not have put public water systems or private wells at risk.
Two of the derailed train cars contained lingering amounts of diesel exhaust fluid, while another two reportedly were holding polyacrylamide water solution, according to CNN, which reports an additional four cars were reportedly not carrying any hazardous materials.
Residents who live nearby to the site of the train derailment were reportedly initially told “out of an abundance of caution” to shelter in place following the incident, however the order was lifted as of early Sunday morning.
Death of Norfolk Southern train conductor sparks NTSB investigation
A Norfolk Southern train conductor, meanwhile, was killed Tuesday after he was struck by a dump truck while working at a facility in Ohio, CNN reports.
The death of the conductor, identified as 46-year-old Louis Shuster, has reportedly sparked an investigation into the safety culture of Norfolk Southern by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The NTSB said it decided to investigate Norfolk Southern due to the “number and significance” of recent incidents involving the railway, CNN reports.
“The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture,” the board said in a statement, according to CNN.
Shuster, meanwhile, was reportedly fatally injured after the front left side of the first car of the train he was in was hit by a dump truck carrying limestone.
“We are grieving the loss of a colleague today. Our hearts go out to his loved ones during this extremely difficult time,” Norfolk Southern said in a statement.
A group of Ohio residents filed a class action lawsuit against Norfolk Southern last month over claims the railway was responsible for the Feb. 3 train derailment that they argue contaminated the surrounding area and decreased their property values.
A separate class action lawsuit was also filed against Norfolk Southern in February by a pair of Ohio residents arguing the train derailment released toxic chemicals into the air that they claim has contaminated soil and groundwater in the area.
The EPA has ordered Norfolk Southern earlier this month to, under EPA supervision, test the area around the train derailment in East Palestine for toxic pollutants.
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Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
- Ohio residents sue Norfolk Southern over property values, contamination after train derailment
- Norfolk Southern class action claims derailment caused property values to decrease
- Norfolk Southern class actions allege derailment, chemical spill forced evacuation due to toxicity
- Baker, et al. v. Norfolk Southern Corp., et al.
