A federal judge has approved a $600 million class-action settlement in the derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals last year in East Palestine.

The Norfolk-Southern train went off the rails in the Columbiana County village in February of 2023. Chemicals that leaked from the train and that were burned off in a pre-emptive move that was deemed unnecessary by the National Transportation Board contaminated the soil and water in and around the derailment site.

The story begins this week’s discussion of news on the “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable.”