By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON Norfolk Southern Corp has agreed to improve conditions for workers rebuilding and cleaning up the site of its February derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the U.S. Labor Department said on Wednesday.
The department said the railway company entered into the agreement with the federal government and the Teamsters’ Railway Union to enhance safety at the site following Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections.
A Norfolk Southern-operated train derailed on Feb. 3 in Ohio, causing cars carrying toxic vinyl chloride and other dangerous chemicals to spill and catch fire.
OSHA said the railroad will pay $49,111 in penalties for four violations, including for failing to require workers to wear chemical resistant footwear when walking on contaminated soil and allowing employees without respiratory protection to pour cement on potentially contaminated soil.
The railroad did not immediately comment.
Under terms of the settlement, Norfolk Southern will implement a medical surveillance program for all affected employees who worked at the derailment site, provide union employees with 40 hours of Hazardous Waste Operations and emergency response training for future derailments and create a training program.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw said in March the railroad supports addressing long-term health risks through the creation of a medical compensation fund and has agreed to work with the community on programs to protect drinking water over the long term.
In May, the railroad said it would establish a fund to reimburse homeowners who live near the derailment site who sell their homes for less than what the property was worth before the incident.
In March, Ohio and the U.S. Justice Department sued Norfolk Southern seeking to ensure the railroad pays the full cost of cleanup and any long-term effects of the derailment.
A U.S. Senate panel in May approved rail safety legislation that tightens rules on trains carrying explosive substances like the Norfolk Southern-operated train. But that legislation has stalled as some Senate Republicans have expressed concerns.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and David Shepardson; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Deepa Babington)