Exactly two years after the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which resulted in a toxic chemical fire and raised alarms in two states, additional lawsuits have been initiated. The plaintiffs argue that the defendants have minimized the effects of the chemical spill that include some locals passing away.

The railroad company involved in the derailment, Norfolk Southern, settled for $600 million to compensate those impacted by the event recently. However, numerous business owners, who are plaintiffs in the additional lawsuits, contend that the settlement does not adequately address the damages.

One lawsuit claims the incident caused seven fatalities, including a newborn just one week old, and that other plaintiffs have experienced unexplained health issues which they fear might deteriorate in the future.

During March of last year, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy admitted during Congressional testimony that a controlled burn following the train derailment in East Palestine, which had severe impacts on the town, was ultimately unnecessary. Consequently, NewsNation reveals the area’s contamination was made worse several days later when a controlled burn of five cars of vinyl chloride, a toxic chemical used for plastic production was initiated with the permission of authorities that created a massive cloud of thick smoke

In the meantime, Ohio native Vice President J.D. Vance visited the disaster site in East Palestine today accompanied by officials such as EPA Chief Lee Zelden and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. During remarks to the media, Vance assured residents that they would not be forgotten.

PHOTO CREDIT: Screengrab of the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio – By National Transportation Safety Board – https://reuters.com/world/us/ohio-carry-out-controlled-release-chemicals-train-derailment-site-2023-02-06 (direct link), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128540829