East Palestine: Latest news on the train derailment and cleanup

A new federal rule finalized Monday aims to ensure first responders can find out what hazardous chemicals are on a train almost immediately after a derailment so they can respond appropriately.

A watchdog group says the Environmental Protection Agency should conduct additional soil studies around the site of a toxic train derailment in Ohio after independent testing found high levels of chemicals in locally grown garlic.

Residents who had to evacuate their homes after the derailment were generally underwhelmed by the deal, which doesn’t include any criminal charges.

The U.S. government has a specialized plane loaded with advanced sensors that the EPA brags is always ready to deploy within an hour of any kind of chemical disaster. But the plane didn’t fly in eastern Ohio until four days after last year's disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment

Some residents have criticized a $600 million preliminary settlement agreement related to the 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. But the lawyers who negotiated the settlement said it was a "very, very good deal" and asked for patience until they can help to explain it more.

The company said Tuesday that the agreement, if approved by the court, will resolve all class action claims within a 20-mile radius from the derailment and, for those residents who choose to participate, personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius from the derailment.

Officials say the aftermath of last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio doesn’t qualify as a public health emergency because widespread health problems and ongoing chemical exposures haven’t been documented.

The head of the National Transportation Safety Board told Congress Wednesday that the decision to blow open five tank cars and burn the toxic chemical inside them three days after the Norfolk Southern train derailed last year wasn't justified.

The company also disclosed Monday that CEO Alan Shaw received a 37% raise last year, reaching $13.4 million in total compensation in 2023.

President Joe Biden is praising what he says were “Herculean efforts” to rebuild at the site of last February's train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Biden is visiting Friday, more than a year after a train loaded with hazardous chemicals derailed causing a deadly explosive fire.