Ohio train derailment spurs insurance, liability questions

Drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released by the National Transportation Safety Board. (Wikipedia Commons)

In the month since 38 railcars carrying hazardous material came to a grinding, fiery halt in East Palestine, Ohio, interest has swelled around cleanup and liability concerns related to the dangerous derailment.

The crash caused nearby towns to evacuate residents, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered freight train operator Norfolk Southern to follow an approved toxic-waste remediation plan. Had the company failed to satisfy EPA requirements, the agency would have performed the remediation work itself and charged Norfolk Southern triple damages. However, roughly a week after the accident, the EPA reported that air quality around the crash site had returned to normal levels.