A federal judge has granted approval for a $600 million class-action settlement from Norfolk Southern railroad to individuals residing within a 20-mile radius of last year’s catastrophic derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Despite objections from a small group of residents, Judge Benita Pearson finalized the deal. The settlement was supported by the majority of residents, with roughly 55,000 claims filed. Only 370 households and 47 businesses chose to opt out of the settlement.
However, dissenters raised concerns about the adequacy of the settlement and the swift approval process, stating that it may not provide sufficient compensation and that the health implications of the derailment remain unclear due to the rushed nature of the deal. They expressed uncertainty about the potential risks considering discrepancies in EPA test reports and the lack of transparency regarding findings from the investigation conducted by the lawyers.
Despite the objections, the approval of the settlement will enable the prompt distribution of payments to the affected individuals. Legal representatives had aimed to initiate the disbursement process, with the first round of checks expected to be sent out by the end of the year.