CEO Alan Shaw will testify before a Senate panel on the incident.
Rail carrier Norfolk Southern remains the subject of intense scrutiny and criticism following the disastrous trail derailment incident in East Palestine, Ohio, the aftereffects of which are still being dealt with. In an effort to assure East Palestine residents and government officials, the company’s CEO, Alan Shaw, will be appearing before a Senate panel later today to testify on what his company plans to do.
Ahead of this appearance, NBC News obtained a copy of Shaw’s prepared testimony, which outlines his and his company’s stance. According to the statement, Shaw is “deeply sorry for the impact this derailment has had on the people of East Palestine and surrounding communities.”
“We will clean the site safely, thoroughly, and with urgency. We are making progress every day,” the statement adds.
Shaw and Norfolk Southern are planning on providing both cleanup assistance and monetary recompense to the residents of East Palestine in the form of reimbursements and investments, which are projected to total around $20 million.
“Norfolk Southern is working around the clock to remediate the remaining issues and monitor for any impact on public health and the environment,” Shaw’s statement reads. “We continue to listen to the experts and cooperate with state, federal, and local government agencies. We are committed to this monitoring for as long as necessary.”