The US Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the owner of the train loaded with toxic chemicals that derailed in Ohio on 3 February, causing an environmental disaster, to clean up the area and compensate for the damage caused.
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan stated at a press conference that the authorities of the railway company Norfolk Southern should take immediate action to clean up the environment damaged by chemicals as a result of the train accident in the East Palestine region of Ohio and that all damages caused by toxic waste should be paid by the responsible company.
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“The Norfolk Southern train derailment turned the lives of East Palestine residents upside down, and EPA’s order will ensure that the company is held accountable for endangering the health and safety of this community,” Regan said in a press release.
Regan said, “Let me be clear: Norfolk Southern will pay for the cleanup of the mess they caused and the trauma they have inflicted on this community.”
Health screening has been launched in the area
The EPA administrator emphasised that if Norfolk Southern fails to fulfil any of its responsibilities, the necessary work will be done by them “immediately” and the company will be fined 3 times the cost of the work in question.
Ohio Governor Mike Dewine said in a press release that according to current law, such a train does not have to report when crossing the state border, noting that this is a completely wrong law that needs to be changed.
On the other hand, the Ohio Health Department started health screening for citizens who want to go to the clinic opened to address the increasing health concerns of residents living in the East Palestine region where the accident occurred.
