NORFOLK, Va., April 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The United States Department of Justice filed suit against Norfolk Southern Railway Company seeking civil penalties and injunctive relief under the Clean Water Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, related to the Jan. 6, 2005, derailment in Graniteville, S.C., and associated release of chlorine into the atmosphere. DOJ has rejected efforts by Norfolk Southern to resolve the matter and Norfolk Southern is disappointed the government is taking this action given its response following the derailment, its full cooperation in the investigation and its payment of governmental response costs. Norfolk Southern is confident that the civil penalties and relief sought by the Department will not be sustained.
Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serving every major container port in the eastern United States and providing superior connections to western rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is North America's largest rail carrier of metals and automotive products.
