The Members urged Norfolk Southern to support Darlington Township’s effort to provide a permanent source of clean public water from nearby Beaver Falls, PA
Since train derailment Casey, Fetterman, and Deluzio have secured resources for Darlington residents, pushed Norfolk Southern to help the community recover
The Members wrote: “Given Norfolk Southern’s role in the derailment and the subsequent contamination concerns that have followed, it is imperative that the company provide funding for the project”
Members continue to push for the passage of Railway Safety Act
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and U.S. Representative Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17) called on Norfolk Southern to provide significant funding for Darlington Township’s efforts to expand access to clean public drinking water for residents. After the Norfolk Southern train derailment disaster and chemical explosion, residents expressed concerns about the long-term safety of their drinking water. The Members urged Norfolk Southern to provide at least $5,000,000 to support Darlington Township’s plan to secure a secondary clean public source by connecting to nearby Beaver Falls Municipal Authority.
“Local leadership identified public drinking water access, including the installation of a public water line that would feed a publicly available fill station, as a priority in the wake of Norfolk Southern’s disastrous train derailment. […] Given Norfolk Southern’s role in the derailment and the subsequent contamination concerns that have followed, it is imperative that the company provide funding for the project,” the Members wrote. “Ensuring that a publicly accessible water option is available—should a problem ever arise—will keep residents safe for the long-term and provide much needed peace of mind for residents who fear a sudden notification of contamination could leave them without any other options for drinking water. […] Doing so will allow your company to live up to the words that you wrote in August of 2023, that Norfolk Southern is ‘in it for the long haul.’”
In Darlington Township, many residents rely on private wells for drinking water, which are vulnerable to external contamination. Should anything contaminate the wells, there is no readily available backup. After last year’s derailment heightened concerns about future contamination, Darlington Township began efforts to connect the Township with clean public water from the nearby Beaver Falls Municipal Authority. This project will be critical for ensuring the community will have access to safe water, should the need arise.
Since the derailment in February 2023, Senators Casey and Fetterman and Congressman Deluzio have repeatedly heard concerns from constituents about the long-term safety of their drinking water. The members have worked tirelessly to help provide alternative water options for the community. Earlier this year, they secured more than $3.6 million in community project to support Darlington’s initiative to expand access to clean public drinking water. Casey and Deluzio then visited Darlington in July to celebrate the funding and hear from Township officials on how they can continue to support the community.
Those meetings made it clear that the investment required to connect Darlington Township to clean, public water from Beaver Falls is significant and the Township needs more funding to complete the project. Now, the Members are pushing Norfolk Southern to honor their commitment to helping the community recover from the derailment and urging the company to fund the clean water initiative.
Senators Casey and Fetterman and Congressman Deluzio have repeatedly fought for resources for Pennsylvanians affected by the derailment and spearheaded efforts to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for endangering the wellbeing and livelihoods of Pennsylvania families and businesses in Darlington Township. This includes securing recovery aid and assistance and championing the Railway Safety Act to ensure no other American community becomes a victim of reckless behavior by big rail companies.
See Senator Casey’s full record on the Norfolk Southern derailment HERE
Read more about the Railway Safety Act HERE
Read the letter HERE or below:
Dear Mr. Shaw:
We write today to request that Norfolk Southern commit to providing at least the $5 million in funding requested by the Darlington Township Board of Supervisors that is needed to construct an extension of public drinking water from Beaver Falls to Darlington Township. Local leadership identified public drinking water access, including the installation of a public water line that would feed a publicly available fill station, as a priority in the wake of Norfolk Southern’s disastrous train derailment along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Given Norfolk Southern’s role in the derailment and the subsequent contamination concerns that have followed, it is imperative that the company provide funding for the project.
Since the derailment, we have heard repeatedly from our constituents that they are concerned about the long-term safety of their drinking water. In Darlington Township, as in many rural areas of Pennsylvania and the Nation, many residents rely on private wells for drinking water. While these private wells have long been an important source of household water, they are vulnerable to external contamination and single-point failure. Should anything contaminate the wells, there is no readily available backup.
We are grateful that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, has worked diligently to test soil and water quality in the immediate radius of the derailment and across Beaver and Lawrence Counties. But while this testing may allay immediate fears about water quality, residents of Darlington Township have expressed concerns about the possibility for delayed contamination due to the shallow depth of their wells. Ensuring that a publicly accessible water option is available—should a problem ever arise—will keep residents safe for the long-term and provide much needed peace of mind for residents who fear a sudden notification of contamination could leave them without any other options for drinking water.
In response to these contamination concerns, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (PL 118-42) we secured $3,661,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending/Community Project Funding for the Beaver Falls Municipal Authority to extend public drinking water to Darlington Township. This would give residents access to a safe, public supply of drinking water, should such access be required in the future. This funding represents a significant public investment in the residents and the future of Darlington Township.
Due to the size of the project, this $3.661-million award alone is insufficient to cover the full costs of extending public water service to Darlington Township. To that end, we believe that Norfolk Southern has a clear responsibility to work closely with Darlington Township and the Beaver Falls Municipal Authority throughout the project and provide the remaining funds needed to bring the project to fruition. Doing so will allow your company to live up to the words that you wrote in August of 2023, that Norfolk Southern is “in it for the long haul.”
We, as well as the families of Darlington Township, appreciate your prompt consideration of this request. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this project, please do not hesitate to reach out to our respective staffs.
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