Norfolk Southern CEO 'deeply sorry' for East Palestine disaster, says company will 'make this right'

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw apologized to the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, and vowed to "make this right," during testimony before a Pennsylvania Senate committee on Monday.

Shaw stated that Norfolk will "make good on its promise" to clean the site safely and thoroughly. He also noted that Norfolk has already set aside $7.5 million to support a community relief fund related to the toxic derailment.

"I want to begin today by expressing how deeply sorry I am for the impact this derailment has had on the citizens of East Palestine and the communities in western Pennsylvania," Shaw told the committee. 

"I’ve been to East Palestine and Pennsylvania many times over the past six weeks. I’ve talked with community leaders, business owners, school officials, faith-based leaders and others throughout the community. They’ve shared their stories and their concerns about the health of their families, their businesses and the future of the community they love. I am determined to make this right," he added.

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Shaw also noted that environmental tests showed that the air in East Palestine was safe to breathe after the derailment, during the controlled burn of the toxic chemicals and after the burn was completed.

Senators repeatedly pressed Shaw on the events leading up to the controlled burn of toxic chemicals, which resulted in a massive plume of smoke and the evacuation of nearby residents.

"The ultimate decision made by unified command under the leadership of the incident commander was made on Monday, Feb. 6, based on the conditions on the ground as we knew them," Shaw told the lawmakers. "There was concern about an uncontrolled catastrophic explosion that would shoot harmful chemicals and shrapnel through the area. So the decision made by unified command under the direction of the incident commander was a controlled vent and burn."

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When asked whether Shaw would commit to compensating East Palestine homeowners for their losses in property value, the CEO said he committed "to do what's right."

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So far, clean-up crews have removed nearly 5,500 tons of contaminated soil and 7 million gallons of wastewater from the area of the crash, according to the EPA. The process is expected to take up to three months.