East Palestine town hall tonight for residents awaiting derailment settlement

EAST PALESTINE Residents of East Palestine are set to meet with lawyers tonight to discuss delayed settlement payments from the 2023 train derailment. The town hall, organized by the Keenan Law Firm, will explore potential legal action against Kroll Settlement Administration, the previous firm in charge of the payments.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. today, September 22, at the Best Western Plus Dutch Haus Inn and Suites in Columbiana.

A judge removed Kroll from the case in June due to miscalculated payments, with Epiq now overseeing the process. Despite the change, many residents still have not received any compensation.

Mindy Bish, a managing partner for the Keenan Law Firm, said the firm is “investigating whether there is a viable lawsuit against Kroll for this long delay. The money was promised a year ago."

Keenan is one of two law firms representing more than 700 families in a lawsuit filed against Norfolk Southern and other defendants earlier this year over the alleged health hazards caused by toxins from the “controlled” burn of rail cars at the site of the fiery 2023 derailment.