Norfolk Southern Donates $25K To Families In Need Following Massive Train Accident In Ohio

Norfolk Southern is being blamed for a train derailment that caused a massive fire in East Palestine, Ohio. Now, the company is looking to make it right.

Quartz reports that after the railway company’s train spewed toxic vinyl chloride, Norfolk Southern is offering a $25,000 donation to assist close to 5,000 residents who are now being forced to evacuate their homes. According to the company’s media page, Norfolk Southern is partnering with the American Red Cross. “We have established a Family Assistance Center to address the needs of the community and support those directly impacted,” the company said in a statement. “The NTSB will be the lead agency for providing updates on the incident.”

According to CNN, a train with 100 cars derailed, with 10 holding hazardous materials. Five of those cars were carrying vinyl chloride, a colorless gas. Exposure to the gas can cause different cancers.

While the company is looking to assist families in need, there is no word on if they will cover costs relating to the derailment, the fire, or potential contamination. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine feels there shouldn’t be a question about it. “They’re the ones who created the problem,” DeWine said. “It’s their liability.” Mechanical problems allegedly caused the accident; however, some blame the incident on “weak safety regulations and the company’s cost-cutting measures,” according to Quartz.

After the Feb. 6 accident, Village of East Palestine Interim Manager Traci Spratt claimed they were monitoring the air and “found zero health risks.” “The village’s drinking water is safe to drink and is being continually monitored,” Spratt said, CNN reports. However, since then, numerous reports have come in stating the opposite.

Several animals have been found dead in neighboring towns since the incident, according to WKBN. A woman in North Lima, 10 miles away from the accident site, claimed she found five of her hens and a rooster dead while going to feed them.