ATLANTA — The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern, alleging its Feb. 3 derailment in Ohio unlawfully polluted waterways.
The government wants the court to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for the derailment of the train carrying hazardous materials, and to ensure the railroad pays the full cost of the environmental cleanup.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in an Ohio federal court but which became publicly known Friday, is the latest in a series of legal actions against Norfolk Southern since the wreck in East Palestine, Ohio, and follows lawsuits filed by Ohio’s attorney general, residents and shareholders.
