EPA Wields Superfund Law’s Big Stick in Ohio Train Wreck Cleanup

The EPA is taking over remediation of the Norfolk Southern Corp. freight train derailment in Ohio by utilizing one of its strongest legal authorities to force a company cleanup.

The agency’s 77-page order requires the company to clean up contaminated soil and water, participate in public meetings, and develop a comprehensive work plan for the Environmental Protection Agency’s review and approval.

The order, which took effect Thursday, invokes one of EPA’s most significant authorities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA): potential fines of as much as $67,544 for each day the company willfully violates or refuses ...