Governor Josh Shapiro says Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay millions for damages in Beaver and Lawrence counties as a result of the Ohio train derailment.
A release from the governor’s office says the railroad will pay $5 million to fire departments in Western Pennsylvania to replace contaminated or damaged equipment.
“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 Governor Josh 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.”
There's $1 million for a Community Relief Fund to support business owners and residents.
There's also more than $1 million to be split up between the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Health and PEMA.
The governor is calling the agreement is a starting point and he says he will continue pushing Norfolk Southern to cover any additional costs.