Norfolk Southern has agreed to a $600 million settlement to resolve class-action lawsuits filed after a freight train derailed last February in East Palestine, Ohio, spilling toxic chemicals into the community.

"The agreement is designed to provide finality and flexibility for settlement class members. Individuals and businesses will be able to use compensation from the settlement in any manner they see fit to address potential adverse impacts from the derailment," Norfolk Southern said in a statement.

On February 3, 2023, 38 freight train carriages carrying cargo that included hazardous materials such as vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate derailed in East Palestine, Ohio.