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Preliminary approval for the settlement came late Tuesday, so now lawyers involved in the case will return to the community to answer more questions about the deal Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern agreed to this spring.

A whistleblower told The Associated Press that the Environmental Protection Agency's ASPECT plane could have provided crucial data about the chemicals spewing into the air around East Palestine as the wreckage burned and forced people from their homes.

Ancora Holdings had nominated seven directors as part of a bid to take control of the railroad’s 13-member board and overhaul its operations.

Norfolk Southern's profits in the first three months of the year fell short of Wall Street expectations again, even excluding the $600 million settlement it recently announced for people who live near the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment.

The Atlanta-based railroad’s profit was down from $466 million, or $2.04 per share, a year ago even though the railroad delivered 4% more shipments during the quarter.

Four railroads have asked federal appeals courts to throw out a new rule that would require two-person train crews in most circumstances, saying the mandate is arbitrary, capricious and an illegal abuse of discretion.

Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay $600 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement related to a fiery train derailment in February 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio.

Norfolk Southern alone will be responsible for paying for the cleanup after last year's fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio, a federal judge ruled.

Several lawsuits related to the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio derailment have been filed by local residents, school districts, corporations, the state and the federal government.

The president toured the site of the derailment in East Palestine and met with local and federal officials to discuss the progress in the cleanup over the past year.