All residents living within 20 miles of the East Palestine derailment who were there when it happened, will have the opportunity to join a class action lawsuit and get a cut of $600 million from Norfolk Southern.

In a 20-mile radius, based on census data, that's potentially tens of thousands of people.

Plaintiff attorneys leading the suit said those closest to ground zero would get significantly more money but were unable to provide a ballpark pointing to a compensation formula that's still being determined.

"We're taking into account household composition, if you had children, how many people were in your house, if you were working in the community, a number of factors that are weighted and we're working with financial experts to translate that into dollars," Attorney Elizabeth Graham with Grant & Eisenhofer said. 

Anyone who joins this class action lawsuit, loses the right to seek separate private litigation in the future against Norfolk Southern.

"Each person can think about their own individualized risk, and what they want to pursue and if they choose not to opt in, then those rights stay available," Attorney Michael Morgan with Morgan & Morgan, said. 

Residents in East Palestine have expressed concerns about the lawsuit not being enough given the proposed eligible population size, to share the money with, but attorneys ask for patience until the deal is finalized.

"I would ask them to be patient and work through the process with us, and learn more, before casting a final judgment of whether or not this is the right settlement for them," Attorney Seth Katz of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, said. 

The attorneys behind the settlement plan to be in East palestine hosting meetings and answering questions, following final approval from the court.

They hope for approval in the coming weeks and expect people to receive money by the end of the year.