After Meeting with Norfolk Southern CEO, Governor Shapiro Announces the Company Will Pay Millions for the Impacts of Train Derailment on Pennsylvania Residents

Statement

Days after meeting with Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw in the Governor's Office in Harrisburg, Governor Josh Shapiro has secured an initial commitment from Norfolk Southern to pay millions 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 Governor Shapiro will continue pushing Norfolk Southern for further accountability and to cover additional costs that may accrue.

In a direct meeting, Governor 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 Governor 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.

In the wake of the February 3 derailment, Governor Shapiro vowed to the people of Pennsylvania that he will hold Norfolk Southern accountable for any and all impacts to our Commonwealth. Today, he is delivering on that promise.

"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."

Source