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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 22 February 2023
EPA takes charge of cleanup in toxic Ohio train derailment

By JOHN SEEWER and to handle the aftermath
MICHAEL RUBINKAM on its own once the news
Associated Press cameras leave and public
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) attention turns elsewhere,
— Federal environmen- and he assured residents
tal regulators on Tuesday that won’t be the case.
took charge of the clean- EPA issued the order under
up from the East Palestine, the so-called Superfund
Ohio train derailment and law that gives the agency
chemical burn and or- authority to order those
dered Norfolk Southern to responsible for contamina-
foot the bill. tion or hazardous waste to
The Environmental Protec- clean it up. EPA can fine
tion Agency told Norfolk the railway up to $70,000 a
Southern to take all avail- day if the work is not com-
able measures to clean up pleted. EPA can also do
contaminated air and wa- the work itself if necessary
ter, and also said the com- and bill Norfolk Southern
pany would be required triple its costs.
to reimburse the federal Appearing at the news
government for a new pro- conference with Regan,
gram to provide cleaning DeWine and other offi-
services for impacted resi- cials, Pennsylvania Gov.
dents and businesses. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan speaks during a news conference Josh Shapiro blasted Nor-
The EPA warned Norfolk in East Palestine, Ohio, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. folk Southern over what he
Southern that if failed to Associated Press called its “failed manage-
comply with its order, the EPA Administrator Michael the hook for the mess they cleanup service for resi- ment of this crisis,” saying
agency would perform the Regan said in a statement created,” Regan said at dents and businesses this the company chose not to
work itself and seek triple ahead of a news confer- the press conference. week. The EPA said its or- take part in a unified inci-
damages from the com- ence with the governors of He added that he knows der marks the end of the dent command, and pro-
pany. Ohio and Pennsylvania. the order “cannot undo “emergency” phase of the vided inaccurate informa-
“The Norfolk Southern train “Let me be clear: Norfolk the nightmare that families derailment and the begin- tion and conflicting model-
derailment has upended Southern will pay for clean- in this town have been liv- ning of long-term remedia- ing data.
the lives of East Palestine ing up the mess they cre- ing with, but it will begin to tion phase in the East Pales- “The combination of Nor-
families, and EPA’s order ated and for the trauma deliver much needed com- tine area. folk Southern’s corporate
will ensure the company is they’ve inflicted on this fort for the pain that Norfolk Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine greed, incompetence, and
held accountable for jeop- community,” he said. Southern has caused.” on Tuesday also acknowl- lack of concern for our resi-
ardizing the health and “In no way shape or form The agency said it would edged the community’s dents is absolutely unac-
safety of this community,” will Norfolk Southern get off release more details on the concern that it will be left ceptable to me,” he said.q

Mormon church fined $5M for obscuring size of portfolio

By SAM METZ tains billions of dollars of in- ers known as its presiding required paperwork to dis- billion in funds, rather than
Associated Press vestments in stocks, bonds, bishopric. The church has close the value of some directing it toward chari-
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The real estate and agricul- agreed to pay $1 million assets in violation of the Se- table causes, Ensign Peak
Church of Jesus Christ of ture. Much of its portfolio is and Ensign Peak will pay $4 curities Exchange Act and has been a source of in-
Latter-day Saints and its in- controlled by Ensign Peak million in penalties based agency rules. trigue and mystery for the
vestment arm have been Advisers, a nonprofit invest- on the violation. Federal Instead, they said, with the nearly 17-million member
fined $5 million for using ment manager overseen investigators said for 22 church’s knowledge, En- Utah-based faith, which
shell companies to obscure by ecclesiastical lead- years, the firm hadn’t filed sign Peak filed the forms encourages members
the size of the portfolio un- through 13 shell companies worldwide to give 10% of
der church control, the U.S. they created, even as they their income in a what is
Securities and Exchange maintained decision-mak- known as “tithing.” Increas-
Commission announced ing power. They also had ingly, the church and its in-
Tuesday. “business managers,” most vestment arm have faced
“We allege that the LDS employed by the church, scrutiny over the fact that
Church’s investment man- sign the required shell com- tax law largely exempts re-
ager, with the Church’s pany filings. ligious groups from paying
knowledge, went to great “The Church was con- U.S. taxes. Ensign Peak is
lengths to avoid disclosing cerned that disclosure of registered as a supporting
the Church’s investments, its portfolio, which by 2018 organization and integrat-
depriving the Commission grew to approximately $32 ed auxiliary of the church.
and the investing public of billion, would lead to nega- In a statement, church of-
accurate market informa- tive consequences,” the ficials said over the time
tion,” Gurbir S. Grewal, the agency said in a statement period investigated, none
agency’s enforcement di- The angel Moroni statue atop the Salt Lake Temple is silhouetted announcing the charges. of their holdings had gone
rector, said in a statement. against a cloud-covered sky, at Temple Square in Salt Lake City Since a whistleblower al- unreported and all had
The faith, widely known as on Feb. 6, 2013. leged in 2019 the church been disclosed through the
the Mormon church, main- Associated Press had stockpiled nearly $100 separate companies. q