An inmate who was sitting in a prison cell nearly 20 miles from East Palestine when a Norfolk Southern train hauling toxic chemicals went off the tracks is suing the chief executive of the railroad for $25 million.

A lawsuit filed by 30-year-old Josh Turner in U.S. District Court against Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw claims that the spillage of vinyl chloride in the February 3rd derailment and subsequent decision for a controlled burn sent toxic chemicals into the environment.

Turner, who is serving a four-year sentence for robbery and felonious assault at the Ohio Penitentiary on Coitsville-Hubbard Road in Youngstown, alleges in the partially hand-written complaint that he has been suffering from rashes, headaches, chest pain, wheezing, and breathing problems which he attributes to impact of vinyl chloride.

Claiming that prison officials have made no effort to provide inmates with bottled water, Turner alleges that his constitutional rights are being violated.

Alan Shaw has not filed a response to the suit, which is just one of nearly thirty civil lawsuits filed against the railroad by residents, businesses, and government entities since the derailment.

The various class action suits have claimed that people living or working as close to two miles from the derailment, to as far as thirty miles away should be able to become party to the complaints.

A federal judge has asked law firms involved in more than 20 of the cases to come up with criteria that can be compiled into a single complaint.

Turner’s case has been assigned to Magistrate Judge Jonathan Greenberg.