NTSB cites Norfolk Southern for unnecessary vent, burn after train derailment

(Reuters) — Norfolk Southern and its contractors did not need to vent and burn hazardous materials from tank cars after a February 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the National Transportation Safety Board staff said Tuesday.

The derailment forced residents to temporarily abandon their homes after the train caught fire and released over a million gallons of hazardous materials and pollutants near the state’s border with Pennsylvania. Last month, Norfolk Southern agreed to pay a $15 million civil penalty and $57.1 million in past government cleanup costs, as well as millions in future costs to resolve a U.S. government lawsuit.

The NTSB staff said at the board meeting Tuesday that a key decision by Norfolk Southern and its contractors to seek approval from the unified incident commander to vent and burn hazardous materials from five tank cars was unnecessary after they “misinterpreted and disregarded evidence” and an alternative option to allow the cars to cool was overlooked.

The NTSB staff also said Norfolk Southern and its contractors withheld “complete and accurate expert opinions and information.”

Norfolk Southern said the company and its contractors’ “only motivation in recommending the vent and burn to the Unified Command was the health and safety of the community and first responders,” adding the decision was to “protect the community from a potential catastrophic explosion.”