Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro, U.S. Senator Bob Casey, and Darlington Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Mike Carreon announced that Norfolk Southern Corporation, at their request, has reimbursed Darlington Township for $544,700, the estimated cost to repair East Palestine Road, which was damaged as a result of the Norfolk Southern train derailment on February 3rd.
In total, Governor Shapiro, Senator Casey, and Darlington Township’s Board of Supervisors have secured more than $1.2 million for Darlington Township from Norfolk Southern following the train derailment. Senator Casey and Governor Shapiro will continue working together to support Western PA communities in their recovery and to hold Norfolk Southern accountable.
“Every step of the way, my Administration has made clear that we are focused on delivering the help our communities need and holding Norfolk Southern accountable,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “The entire cost of this derailment and its impact on the Commonwealth must be picked up Norfolk Southern, not the people of Pennsylvania. This critical funding will help Darlington Township repair a vital roadway and continue to rebuild following the derailment. We will continue to follow through on our promises and work with our state, federal, and local partners to support the people and communities that have been impacted.”
“In the six months since Norfolk Southern’s disastrous train derailment, I have fought to hold the rail company accountable for the hell they’ve put the Darlington community through,” said Senator Bob Casey. “This money will help fix East Palestine Road but that’s just the start of what Darlington residents, businesses, and the wider Beaver County community are going to need. It will take years for Darlington families to rebuild their lives and Norfolk Southern owes it to them to be there every step of the way.”
“The Darlington Township Board of Supervisors, along with our state and federal partners, will continue to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for their actions, said Darlington Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Mike Carreon. “The repair of East Palestine Road is just another small step. We will continue in discussions with Norfolk Southern until all of our current and future concerns are addressed.
Governor Shapiro announced last week that he had delivered $1 million from Norfolk Southern to Western PA communities to assist with community relief, directing $660,000 to Darlington Township and $340,000 to Lawrence County. That funding is a key part of the multi-million-dollar commitment Governor Shapiro secured from Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw, including the first $1 million the company already repaid to Pennsylvania fire departments and first responders.
The Shapiro Administration continues to conduct environmental testing in the area impacted by the train derailment to ensure the safety of the people, plants, and animals in the region. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture announced two weeks ago that samples from crops in Beaver and Washington Counties show no contamination stemming from the train derailment. Area producers requested testing of plant tissue to understand the full impact of the derailment on their agricultural products. Complete plant tissue test results appear along with final sample results from DEP’s soil and water testing on the interactive map launched in April on DEP’s website. Pennsylvania agencies continue to see no contamination in Western PA related to the February Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine.
Individuals who were impacted by the derailment and want to apply for reimbursements should visit this link to learn how to apply.
Visit the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency’s (PEMA) dashboard for more information about resources available to Pennsylvania residents.
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