EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (WKBN)- Norfolk Southern’s financial commitment to East Palestine now exceeds $11.8 million, according to a news release from the company.
Representatives with Norfolk Southern say this includes more than $6.3 million in direct financial assistance to families. The company has given financial assistance to 3,730 impacted families.
The budget also covers the following:
- $1 million community assistance fund
- $1 million budget for the new community liaison
- $3 million to the fire department for new equipment.
In addition, the U.S. EPA announced the deployment of a Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer mobile laboratory to conduct real-time air monitoring and air sampling analysis during the waste removal process.
Environmental remediation includes:
- Soil: Excavation continued with an estimated total of 4,800 cubic yards of soil collected for disposal.
- Water: Norfolk Southern has recovered over 1.9M gallons of impacted water for final disposal. All soil and water will be transported to disposal facilities that are designed to accept it safely and in accordance with state and federal regulations.
- Norfolk Southern has completed more than 570 in-home air monitoring tests.
According to the press release, the U.S. EPA has not detected contaminants associated with the derailment while testing air quality within area homes. Residents in East Palestine who have not yet requested free air sampling can call 330-849-3919.
