Additionally, the rail company faces multiple class-action suits from members of the East Palestine community over the incident, which forced residents within roughly a mile’s radius to evacuate their homes.
Shapiro shared the information at a news conference in East Palestine with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and other officials. A reporter had asked what actions the governors might take, such as penalizing Norfolk Southern, the rail company involved in the Feb. 3 derailment.
Shapiro, a Democrat, was the state's attorney general before he was elected governor last year. He provided no further details about the referral. “We have just received a criminal referral from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and will act quickly to investigate this incident, gather the facts, and then evaluate the evidence to make a determination under Pennsylvania law," the statement said. "Pennsylvanians have a constitutional right to clean air and pure water, and we will not hesitate to hold anyone or any company responsible for environmental crimes in our Commonwealth.
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