A federal class-action lawsuit filed after a train derailment in Bullitt County in January 2007 has been settled for $3 million, according to court records. The Courier-Journal in Louisville reports that of the 17,000 people eligible for claims, none can receive more than $10,000.
The CSX train was carrying chemicals considered hazardous and some residents near the crash went to the hospital complaining of breathing problems. The fiery derailment sent a plume of smoke up over the site and CSX had to excavate contaminated soil from the site.
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Russell tentatively approved the settlement on Aug. 28. The newspaper reports that a Web site has been authorized by the court to detail the settlement.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs declined to comment on the settlement. – Submitted by Chuck Hinrichs
Jacksonville, Fla. – October 3, 2008 – CSX Corporation (NYSE: CSX) today announced that it achieved the best score among Class One freight railroads in the Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) 2008 Report and third best in the overall Transports and Logistics category.
CDP is a not-for-profit organization representing the interests of 385 mostly-institutional investors with more than $57 trillion in assets under management. CDP’s role is to, “act as an intermediary between shareholders and corporations on all climate change related issues, providing primary climate change data from the world’s largest corporations, to the global market place.”
CSX’s Climate Leadership Index score was compiled by aggregating its weighted answers in a CDP questionnaire split into four sections covering: risks and opportunities; emissions accounting; performance against targets; and governance.
“CSX is committed to providing a high level of transparency and disclosure to investors and other interested parties concerning the company’s long-term environmental strategy and climate related risks,” said Oscar Munoz, CSX Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “CSX provides the most environmentally friendly way to meet the nation’s demand for freight transportation and is committed to continuing to provide value for both our customers and shareholders while taking meaningful steps to address the important concerns of climate change.”