Another Beaver County school district has sued Norfolk Southern over the Feb. 3 derailment in Ohio and the cost of ongoing pollution cleanup and health monitoring efforts into the future.
The Ambridge Area School District filed the complaint Monday in U.S. District Court on counts of negligence and related grounds.
The suit is similar to other federal lawsuits brought in recent weeks by the Blackhawk and Western Beaver districts near the Ohio border and another filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. Other school districts in Ohio have also filed suits.
The suits all blame the railroad for the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, and the subsequent release of toxic chemicals into the air and water.
The Ambridge complaint said the railroad’s actions have caused students and staff to suffer various health problems such as rashes, eye irritation and breathing issues. The suit also says the incident contaminated district property, soil and water and puts students at future risk of health damage.
Like the other suits, the Ambridge complaint says the railroad failed to maintain and inspect its railways and devices, recklessly routed trains hauling toxins through populated areas, failed to train employees in safety precautions and failed to make sure that there were enough defect monitors on the route to warn about malfunctions.
Ten rail cars hauling hazardous materials derailed Feb. 3, five of which were carrying vinyl chloride. The railroad set up an evacuation zone and then conducted a controlled release of the chemical to avoid a catastrophic explosion.
The Ambridge suit described that move as an “ultrahazardous and abnormal activity.”
The suit is seeking compensatory and statutory damages, punitive damages, attorney fees and the imposition of an ongoing medical health monitoring program paid for by Norfolk Southern.
Torsten covers the courts for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Reach him at jtorsteno@gmail.com.
