Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw used to be evasive every now and then Thursday when requested direct questions from senators, in spite of his assurances that he and his corporate have been dedicated to serving to the citizens of East Palestine, Ohio, suffering from a poisonous teach derailment final month.
He seemed to dodge in responding to quite a few “yes” or “no” questions during a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works committee listening to at the incident, which has sparked quite a few well being and environmental threats and caused political fallout.
Shaw declined to say if Norfolk Southern would compensate other people in East Palestine and different affected communities for any long-term clinical prices, together with clinical checking out, or financial damages. He additionally declined to commit to supporting the proposed bipartisan Railway Safety Act, ensuring a minimum of seven paid in poor health days for staff or compensating affected house owners for his or her reduced belongings values.
Instead, he again and again replied lawmakers’ particular questions about the ones issues by means of pronouncing the corporate is “committed to doing what’s right.”
Norfolk Southern Corporation President and CEO, Alan Shaw, testifies earlier than a US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works listening to at the environmental and public well being threats from the Norfolk Southern Feb. 3 teach derailment, on March 9, 2023, in Washington, DC.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP by means of Getty Images
Senators ask Shaw to solution ‘sure’ or ‘no’
As the three-hour listening to ended, committee chairman Tom Carper, D-Del., mentioned a few of Shaw’s solution didn’t adequately deal with his and his colleague’s questions.
“One of the things I’m concerned about, I’m not a big fan, as I said Mr. Shaw, of yes-no answers. That’s not usually my style. But I didn’t think we heard as many unequivocal answers — ‘yeses’ — as I might like to have, and we might want to revisit that at another time,” Carper mentioned.
He started the panel’s probing of Shaw by means of asking him if Norfolk Southern would compensate the folks of Ohio and Pennsylvania for imaginable long-term clinical prices and financial damages as a consequence of this crisis, to which Shaw answered by means of pronouncing his crew would do “more than less” to blank up the realm.
Sen. Bernie Sanders questions Norfolk Southern Chief Executive Office Alan Shaw during an affidavit at the East Palestine, Ohio teach derailment earlier than a U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee listening to on Capitol Hill, in Washington, March 9, 2023.
Mary F. Calvert/Reuters
“Senator, we’re committed to doing what’s right for the folks of East Palestine and the community. That’s been my personal commitment since the day after this happened. I pulled my team together. And I told my team we are going to do more than less with the environmental cleanup, and we’re going to do more than less with the citizens of East Palestine,” Shaw mentioned.
A follow-up query touched on Norfolk Southern’s dedication to paying for long-term clinical checking out for other people with recognized or suspected publicity to the leak of bad chemical substances.
‘I’m dedicated to doing what is proper’
“I’m committed to doing what’s right. You know, we’re gonna be there today, tomorrow, a year from now, five years from now, 10 years from now,” Shaw mentioned.
At one level, Carper pointedly requested Shaw, “Yes or no: Will you commit that Norfolk Southern will be there for as long as it takes to make East Palestine, Ohio, Darlington Township in Pennsylvania, and the surrounding communities whole from this disaster?”
Shaw declined to solution with a “yes” or “no.” “I’m terribly sorry for the impact this derailment has had on the folks of that community. And yes, it’s my personal commitment that’s Norfolk Southern that we’re going to be there for as long as it takes to help East Palestine thrive and recover,” he mentioned. “That’s my personal commitment.”
Declines to commit to Railway Safety Act
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who’s these days hospitalized to obtain remedy for scientific melancholy, submitted a query for Shaw, inquiring if the CEO would enhance the recently-proposed bipartisan Railway Safety Act.
Shaw indicated that he’d enhance portions of the law, pronouncing he’d commit to “the legislative intent to make rail safer,” with out pronouncing, “yes.”
He mentioned during the listening to that Norfolk Southern had invested in numerous new tasks to support protection which integrated extra hotbox detectors and putting in its first new wayside detector on Wednesday.
Senator Ed Markey questions Norfolk Southern Chief Executive Office Alan Shaw during an affidavit at the East Palestine, Ohio teach derailment earlier than a U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee listening to on Capitol Hill, in Washington, March 9, 2023.
ABC News
Compensation for lowered belongings values? Paid worker in poor health depart?
Shaw declined to say whether or not Norfolk Southern would commit to offering households repayment for lowered belongings values because of the derailment when puzzled by means of Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., as a substitute repeating that the corporate used to be “committed to do what’s right.”
“Well, what’s right is a family that had a home worth $100,000 that is now worth $50,000 will probably never be able to sell that home for $100,000 again. Will you compensate that family for that loss?”
“I’m committed to what’s right, if –” Shaw mentioned once more, as Markey interrupted, pronouncing, “That is the right thing to do. These are the people who are innocent victims, Mr. Shaw. These people were just there at home and all of a sudden, their small businesses, their homes are forever going to have been diminished in value. Norfolk Southern owes these people. It’s an accident that is basically under the responsibility of Norfolk Southern, not these families.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., driven Shaw on whether or not he would commit to giving his workers assured paid in poor health depart, and used to be now not happy with the CEO’s reaction.
Shaw additionally mentioned that “everything is on the table” when Sanders requested about Norfolk Southern’s duty in masking well being care wishes for East Palestine citizens.
“Senator, I share your focus on our employees, I will commit to continuing to discuss with them important quality of life issues, with our local craft colleagues,’ Shaw said.
“With all due recognize, you sound like a political candidate, Mr. Shaw,” Sanders responded.
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