Norfolk Southern to pay Ohio town residents for any lost home value after a train crash and resulting health worries decimated the local economy

Norfolk Southern announced new details Monday about its plan to compensate East Palestine residents for lost home values since the fiery derailment disrupted life in the eastern Ohio town in February.

The railroad’s program will no doubt be welcomed by some people who want to sell their homes and move away from the town rather than deal with the lingering health worries. But some critics say the railroad should be doing more to address those health concerns instead of worrying so much about economic recovery in the area.

And the details are still tentative because the Ohio Attorney General’s office is still negotiating an agreement that will create a long-term fund to compensate homeowners along with two other funds to pay for any health problems or water contamination issues that crop up down the road. The Attorney General’s office said it’s not clear when those funds will be finalized because of all the unanswered questions at this stage.