Western Pennsylvania lawmakers call on Norfolk Southern to pay for Beaver County water facility
WASHINGTON (KDKA) - Lawmakers from western Pennsylvania are urging Norfolk Southern to help pay for a new facility that would connect Darlington Township to a nearby public water system.
People who live in Darlington Township, primarily relying on private wells and springs for their water, became aware of potential water contamination following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Now, given Norfolk Southern's role in said derailment, Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman along with Representative Chris Deluzio have said they should have to pay for the new facility.
You can read a statement from them provided to KDKA below:
"Local leadership identified public drinking water access, including the installation of a public water line that would feed a publicly available fill station, as a priority in the wake of Norfolk Southern's disastrous train derailment. Given Norfolk Southern's role in the derailment and the subsequent contamination concerns that have followed, it is imperative that the company provide funding for the project. Ensuring that a publicly accessible water option is available—should a problem ever arise—will keep residents safe for the long-term and provide much needed peace of mind for residents who fear a sudden notification of contamination could leave them without any other options for drinking water. Doing so will allow your company to live up to the words that you wrote in August of 2023, that Norfolk Southern is 'in it for the long haul.'"
Stuck in limbo one year later
It's been about a year and a half since the train derailed in the small Ohio town and earlier this year, we spoke with several residents who say they feel they're stuck in limbo.
"We had to leave our home because it was chemically contaminated, and we knew it was going to kill us," Zsuzsa Gyenes said. "Now, we have nowhere to go, and it's not our fault. Everything had this Drano smell to it, and it immediately was nauseating. I had to throw out baby pictures. I didn't want to do that."
"We go from being told one thing to another. Well if it was never there, if it was never a hazard, if it was never a risk, why all this remediation?" Linda Murphy said.
"You lose sleep at night. And you wonder, by staying here and the home you built, the security that you felt, is it smart to stay?" Russell Murphy said.
Families hope as attention returns to the derailment, they'll finally see some action. But based on this past year, it's hard for them to remain optimistic.
Settlements, fines, and fallout
Even as residents continue to deal with their day-to-day lives following the derailment, Norfolk Southern has been forced to pay millions of dollars in fines and settlements.
In April, they were ordered to pay $15 million in fines as part of a federal settlement.
"This settlement is historic in many ways and will begin to make up for some of the damage caused to the residents of East Palestine. And it would absolutely push the industry in the direction that we would like for the industry to go," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. "Again, if some of these provisions that we've secured and locked in had been in place, we may not even be where we are today."
Meanwhile, last month, as part of the settlement, some Ohio residents learned they could get $25,000 for injuries sustained by the derailment.
Lawyers increased the initial estimated payment from $10,000 based on how many claims they believed there would be.
"We are not looking to over promise and under deliver in any way shape or form to the class," Adam Gomez said.
