"The state is seeking almost $9 million in penalties from Norfolk Southern railroad for environmental damage caused by a 31-car train derailment June 30 in McKean County that spilled toxic chemicals and wiped out fish and aquatic life in several top-quality trout streams.
“The Department of Environmental Protection is also seeking additional daily penalties of $46,420 for continuing chemical discharges into the creek from contaminated soil at nine separate sites.”
That sounds so unreasonable at first. Until one realizes that if left to their own unsupervised, the RR would probably prefer to just bury it and forget about it.
NS’ reply was the expected one: “See you in court!” Stay tuned, it was filed in Harrisburg, a busy one, where waits for hearings can be lengthy. Not in the same class as, say the Southern district of New York, or the District of Columbia, but in around 2008…
NS is taking a beating on these environmental fines. Check this out:
EPA fines Norfolk Southern $8.89 million
WASHINGTON – The Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday (Oct. 19) said it is seeking at least $8.89 million in penalties from railroad operator Norfolk Southern Corp. for the damage caused by a train derailment in McKean County, Pa., according to this Reuters report.
The department is also seeking a daily penalty of $46,420 a day for ongoing discharges.
The derailment on June 30 spilled 42,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide and affected aquatic life in Big Fill Run at the accident site and along a 7.5-mile segment of Sinnemahoning-Portage Creek, the department said in a statement.
(The preceding Reuters report was filed on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006.)