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Pennsylvania State Actions Responding To Ohio/PA Train Derailment - Week Of March 6

Here are highlights of Pennsylvania state government actions responding to the Ohio/PA train derailment from the week of March 6.

Gov. Shapiro Announces Agreement With Norfolk Southern To Pay $7.38 Million In Initial Response Costs, Costs To Businesses, Residents From Train Derailment

On March 6, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced he has secured an initial commitment from Norfolk Southern to pay $7.38 million for damages to Pennsylvania and its residents resulting from their February 3 train derailment that impacted residents in Beaver and Lawrence counties.

This funding commitment is a starting point, and Gov. Shapiro will continue pushing Norfolk Southern for further accountability and to cover additional costs that may accrue.

In a direct meeting, Gov. Shapiro demanded Norfolk Southern cover the entirety of the costs incurred by Commonwealth agencies and local fire departments that responded to the derailment, as well as set up a $1 million community relief fund for businesses and residents in Beaver and Lawrence counties who lost revenue as a result of the incident.

This is a start, not an end, to Gov. Shapiro holding Norfolk Southern accountable for the damage it has caused to the Commonwealth.

At the Governor’s request, Norfolk Southern agreed to pay the Commonwealth to recoup losses due to its train derailment and cover costs that may accrue over time with continued testing and monitoring.

“Norfolk Southern’s train derailment has hurt communities in Western Pennsylvania, and to make matters worse, the company’s disregard for crisis management best practices injected unnecessary risk into the situation and created confusion for residents and first responders,” said Gov. Shapiro. “Norfolk Southern must do better – and the entire cost of this derailment and its impact on the Commonwealth must be picked up by them, not the people of Pennsylvania. My Administration is doing whatever it takes to help Pennsylvanians impacted by this incident, and I will continue to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for their actions.”

$7.38 Million In Assistance

As a result of Gov. Shapiro’s work, Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay:

-- $5,000,000 to reimburse local fire departments in Western Pennsylvania that need to replace contaminated or damaged equipment that was used in responding to the derailment.

-- $1,000,000 for a Community Relief Fund to be run by Beaver and Lawrence County officials to support business owners and residents impacted by the derailment.

-- $950,000 to cover the Department of Environmental Protection’s work in Western Pennsylvania.

-- $400,000 for the Department of Health’s services, including--

-- Costs associated with the Health Resource Center (HRC) – which has already served more than 250 residents since opening on February 28 – like rent, supplies, and staff time.

-- Costs associated with DOH’s Poison Control Call Line, which has tracked every call related to train derailment.

-- $30,000 to cover the PA Emergency Management Agency’s (PEMA) staff time since the Commonwealth Response Coordination Center (CRCC) activation.

Norfolk Southern’s agreement to pay these costs is separate and apart from any otherwise applicable legal obligations that might be imposed.

Dept. Of Health Extends Operation Of Health Resource Center In Beaver County For PA Residents Impacted By Ohio/PA Train Derailment

On March 10, the Shapiro Administration announced it will continue to offer services to Pennsylvania residents living near the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, by extending the operations at the Health Resource Center in Darlington Township, Beaver County, through Thursday, March 16.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health will operate the Health Resource Center with specific hours of operations Monday-Wednesday, March 13-15, from 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM and Thursday, March 16, from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM.

The Center is located at Darlington Township Building, 3590 Darlington Rd., Darlington, PA 16115.

Staff from DOH and the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection will be on site to answer questions and listen to concerns from residents affected by the derailment.

The Center has already provided help to 466 people through Thursday, March 9.

Since the Center opened on February 28, people have signed up for soil and water quality testing through DEP and talked to experts about current soil, air, and water readings; been provided medical evaluations, emergency behavioral health evaluations, general public health information, and support with the Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE) survey from health care representatives; and had their questions answered about pet safety, farm animal safety, and best farm practices by experts from the Department of Agriculture.

DOH staff is continuing to conduct ACE surveys among residents living near the derailment.

In addition, DOH has begun surveying first responders who were on-site following the train derailment.

DOH staff will be carefully assessing the surveys, which ask first responders questions about symptoms, experiences, and concerns about the impact of the train derailment on their lives as emergency personnel.

DEP Reports No Signs Of Groundwater Contamination With First Results From Water Sampling Near Ohio/PA Train Derailment Site

On March 10, the Department of Environmental Protection announced the first round of water sampling results from private water wells show no signs of groundwater contamination in Pennsylvania.

“Under Governor Shapiro’s direction, the Department of Environmental Protection has been leading our own independent testing to determine the impacts of the train derailment, and keep Pennsylvanians informed and safe,” said Rich Negrin, Acting Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. “Today’s negative results are an encouraging sign for Pennsylvania residents. DEP will continue collecting samples over the next several months and the Commonwealth will continue to lead the way so that Pennsylvanians are aware of and protected from any threats to their safety and resources that may arise.”

DEP analyzed the water samples collected from private drinking water wells for vinyl chloride, ethanol, and glycol, which are chemicals of concern and were on the train cars and could have potentially contaminated groundwater, a drinking water source.

The preliminary results did not detect the presence of any of the chemicals of concern.

DEP is in the process of developing a method to share water sampling data publicly.

DEP has also begun collecting soil samples from Pennsylvania properties within a 2-mile radius of the derailment site to determine any impacts from soot and ash to agricultural properties from the derailment and the controlled burn of train cars containing vinyl chloride.

Properties were selected for sampling based on reported ash and other materials deposited from the derailment and fire. These samples will be used to help inform farmers and residents about any possible risks ahead of the upcoming planting season.

House Democratic & Republican Policy Committees Hold March 14 Joint Hearing On Impact Of Ohio/PA Train Derailment In Beaver County

On March 10, the House Democratic and Republican Policy Committees announced they will hold a joint hearing March 14 on the impact of Norfolk Southern train derailment in Beaver County.

The hearing will be hosted by Reps. Rob Matzie (D-Beaver) and Jim Marshall (R-Beaver) to meet with local officials and representatives from the Shapiro administration to discuss the impacts the train derailment on the Ohio border is having on Pennsylvania residents.

The hearing will be held at the Darlington Fire Department, 3590 Darlington Road, Darlington, Beaver County starting at 1:00 p.m. Click Here to watch live.

Norfolk Southern CEO To Appear March 20 Before PA Senate Committee To Answer Questions About Ohio/PA Train Derailment; Committee Subpoenas Documents

On March 8, Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams), Majority Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, announced Alan Shaw, CEO of Norfolk Southern will appear before the Committee on March 20 to answer questions about the Ohio/PA train derailment.

Shaw was issued a Committee subpoena to appear before the Committee on March 8.

“We have been in communication with Norfolk Southern and Mr. Shaw. He will testify, however, he's been summoned to go before Congress tomorrow. So that testimony before us unfortunately is delayed,” said Sen. Mastriano. “So we're continuing the hearing to Monday, March 20th at 10:00 a.m. in Room 8E-B of the state capitol, and there, he will stand before us to answer our questions.”

The Committee also unanimously approved another subpoena for documents related to the train derailment from Norfolk Southern. Sen. Langerholc (R-Bedford) recused himself from the vote as he did at the last meeting.