Lawyers want East Palestine residents to wait for details of $600 million derailment settlement

By JOSH FUNK
AP Business Writer

The lawyers who negotiated a $600 million settlement with Norfolk Southern over that railroad’s disastrous 2023 derailment in eastern Ohio want residents to talk with them before deciding the historic deal isn’t enough. After all, they said Wednesday that this settlement for everyone within 20 miles of the East Palestine derailment is bigger than any past derailment settlement that has been made public. And the amount residents receive will vary based on how much the derailment devastated them. Residents like gas station owner Anna Doss are hopeful this settlement will help the town take another step forward. But the fear of possible long-term health problems still lingers and railroad safety reforms haven’t been passed yet.