Railway CEO Declines to Commit to Pay for Long-Term Health Testing for Ohio Residents After Derailment

Alan Shaw, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern Corporation, speaks during a hearing with the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 9, 2023. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw made an ambiguous promise Thursday to do “what’s right” for East Palestine, Ohio, residents after one of his rail company’s trains derailed there last month, releasing toxic chemicals into the environment.

“We’re committed to doing what’s right for the folks of East Palestine and the community,” Shaw assured Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) at a hearing of the Environment and Public Works Committee that was devoted to the incident.