Board of Commissioners of Cook County - File #: 23-1939

• File #: 23-1939
• Version: 2
• Name: A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR FURTHER FEDERAL ACTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY TOWARDS THE NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORPORATION
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Approved
• File created: 3/9/2023
• In control: Environment and Sustainability Committee
• On agenda: 3/16/2023
• Final action: 4/27/2023
• Title: PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE TO FILE 23-1939 PROPOSED RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR FURTHER FEDERAL ACTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORPORATION'S OPERATIONS WHEREAS, on the 3rd day of February 2022, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in the municipality of East Palestine, State of Ohio, in a residential area bordering the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The catastrophic incident ignited a fire that covered the town in toxic smoke; and WHEREAS, in fear of a major explosion, authorities created an evacuation zone near the crash and carried out a controlled release of toxic chemicals to neutralize burning cargo inside some of the train cars; and WHEREAS, five of the aforementioned train cars were carrying vinyl chloride, an industrial chemical used to make hard plastic that is classified by the National Cancer Institute as a "cancer-causing substance;" and WHEREAS, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency...
• Sponsors: ANTHONY J. QUEZADA, ALMA E. ANAYA, BRIDGET DEGNEN, FRANK J. AGUILAR, SCOTT R. BRITTON, JOHN P. DALEY, DENNIS DEER, BRIDGET GAINER, MONICA GORDON, BRANDON JOHNSON, BILL LOWRY, DONNA MILLER, STANLEY MOORE, JOSINA MORITA, KEVIN B. MORRISON, MAGGIE TREVOR

Date	Ver.	Action By	Motion	Result
4/27/2023	2	Board of Commissioners	approve as substituted	Pass
4/26/2023	1	Environment and Sustainability Committee	accept as substituted	Pass
4/26/2023	2	Environment and Sustainability Committee	recommend for approval as substituted	Pass
3/16/2023	1	Board of Commissioners	refer as substituted	Pass

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PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE TO FILE 23-1939

PROPOSED RESOLUTION

A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR FURTHER FEDERAL ACTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORPORATION'S OPERATIONS

WHEREAS, on the 3rd day of February 2022, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in the municipality of East Palestine, State of Ohio, in a residential area bordering the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The catastrophic incident ignited a fire that covered the town in toxic smoke; and

WHEREAS, in fear of a major explosion, authorities created an evacuation zone near the crash and carried out a controlled release of toxic chemicals to neutralize burning cargo inside some of the train cars; and

WHEREAS, five of the aforementioned train cars were carrying vinyl chloride, an industrial chemical used to make hard plastic that is classified by the National Cancer Institute as a "cancer-causing substance;" and

WHEREAS, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, hazardous materials including butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ethers, were transported inside the train cars, and were likely released into the air, surface soil, and surface waters; and

WHEREAS, after being permitted to return to their homes by the local authorities, residents in the crash zone reported feeling sick with including but not limited to headaches and sore throats while continuing to smell a strong chemical odor; and

WHEREAS, the collateral damage from this incident to the environment, the local ecosystem and both the human and animal populations will not be known for some time; and

WHEREAS, Governor Josh Shapiro of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania denounced Norfolk Southern Corporation for its failure to report the crash to the state authorities as was required by law, and instead learned of the derailment independently in the hours after it occurred. This created confusion within the state's emergency management system, r...