‘This is their mess’: U.S. orders rail company to pay for Ohio train spill cleanup

The head of the U.S. government's environmental agency and President Joe Biden said Norfolk Southern must cover the costs of cleaning up the toxic spill area in East Palestine.

The head of the U.S. government’s environmental agency said on Tuesday that rail operator Norfolk Southern must “pay for cleaning up the mess” created when a freight train derailment in Ohio released toxic chemicals into the environment.

The comments by the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were echoed by President Joe Biden later on Tuesday. “This is their mess. They should clean it up,” Biden said on Twitter.

The EPA also ordered that Norfolk Southern officials attend town meetings about the Feb. 3 spill in East Palestine, Ohio. Last week company officials boycotted a meeting, citing concerns for their personal safety, leaving residents angered.

The EPA order requires Norfolk Southern to submit a work plan for EPA approval for the cleanup associated with the derailment. The wreck resulted in a fire that sent clouds of smoke over the town. Thousands of residents had to evacuate while railroad crews drained and burned off toxic chemicals.

“Let me be crystal clear: Norfolk Southern will pay for cleaning up the mess that they created and for trauma they’ve inflicted on this community,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said during a press conference in East Palestine.

Biden also said on social media that rail companies have successfully lobbied hard in Washington to slow regulations, and he called on Congress to pass new rail safety measures. “This is more than a train derailment or a toxic waste spill – it’s years of opposition to safety measures coming home to roost,” Biden wrote.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a package of reforms on Tuesday aimed at improving safety for the nation’s freight railroads. He said the Department of Transportation will hold the railroad accountable for any safety violations that contributed to the Feb. 3 crash near the Pennsylvania border.

Also on Tuesday, a medical clinic staffed by contamination experts opened to evaluate residents’ complaints. State and federal officials have reiterated that their testing of air and water samples doesn’t show dangerous levels of any toxins, but some people have complained about constant headaches and irritated eyes as they worry about returning to their homes.