Posted 4/11/2025

Companies that poison the planet have been told they will face stiff penalties by way of fines levied against them. However, the harm done to the environment remains, sometimes, indefinitely. Norfolk Southern had a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2023. This train was carrying hazardous materials, which spilled into the air and waterways. Among these chemicals were vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate. Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen, meaning it causes cancer. Smoke containing noxious chemicals billowed into the sky for hours. Apparently, Norfolk Southern found a way to settle the lawsuit against them, which was brought in the form of a class action by the U.S. government, for 310 million dollars... Click Here.

Norfolk Southern estimates that they will spend more than a billion dollars for costs associated with the disaster, which includes the 310-million-dollar settlement with the United States. A quick Google search reveals that Norfolk Southern is worth between 48 and 56 billion dollars, depending on the time of day. Norfolk Southern has a long list of safety violations, and they paid the fine... Click Here.

The derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, isn't, by far, the only derailment they've had. One of the most memorable accidents was the derailment in 2012 in Paulsboro, New Jersey, where 23,000 gallons of vinyl chloride were released. But the incident in East Palestine, Ohio, eclipses that by about 77,000 gallons. Not to seem like we're picking on Norfolk Southern, there are other huge polluters out there. Zeaborn Ship Management was caught dumping a mix of filthy water, lubricants, grease, cleaning fluids, and other contaminants into the ocean off the coast of California. They paid a 2 million dollar fine. But what's interesting is that these discharges of chemicals into the ocean are business as usual. The fine is paid when they are omitted from record books. Clipper Shipping paid a "hefty" 1.5-million-dollar fine for such a violation... Click Here.

These fines may sound like a lot, but to huge corporations, they amount to a slap on the wrist. Consider Exxon Mobil, one of the largest polluters in the world, responsible for 2.1% of global emissions. Their market capitalization exceeds 400 billion dollars. They've paid 2 billion dollars in environment-related fines since the year 2000... Click Here.