Very few people who live near the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment opted out of a $600 million class action settlement despite reservations about whether the deal offers enough. So lawyers who negotiated the deal with Norfolk Southern railroad say a federal judge should approve the settlement after a final hearing on Sept. 25. Only 370 households and 47 businesses in a 20-mile radius covered by the agreement opted out of the property damage payments. A separate payment of up to $25,000 for personal injuries was more controversial because it required giving up any right to sue in the future. Some 97% of East Palestine residents still signed onto that.
