Editorial: Will Norfolk Southern CEO's response leave a bad taste?

“I said at the very beginning, ‘I want to do this and do things right today, tomorrow, a year from now, five years from now and 10 years from now,’ ” said Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw.

Apparently part of doing things right is chugging a glass of tap water in front of reporters covering the ongoing story of multiple states worried about the long-term impacts of Norfolk Southern’s train crash near East Palestine, Ohio.

Does Shaw realize that drinking the water may come off as performative — if not downright patronizing — to the people who don’t get to drop into town for a quick sip and leave?

Does he worry that it might seem dismissive of the concerns about how spilled and burned chemicals like vinyl chloride will affect Ohio and Pennsylvania water, air and soil?

Did anyone on Norfolk Southern’s public relations team vet the idea as perhaps being a bit too reminiscent of the famous “Erin Brockovich” movie scene about the polluted water in a small California town? Yes, Shaw’s action tries to flip the script to one of confidence — but will it play that way?

Six weeks after the derailment, there are still too many unanswered questions for a staged stunt that can easily read as arrogant rather than sympathetic.

On Tuesday, the federal government filed a lawsuit to force the railroad company to cover years of monitoring as well as the financial impact on the area. A $7.5 million agreement was reached earlier with Pennsylvania to cover the cost to state agencies as well as damages for residents of Beaver and Lawrence counties. These are likely to be just the first of a lengthy list of Norfolk Southern’s costs.

People don’t want to see Shaw wearing the East Palestine school colors and a “Go Bulldogs” bracelet. That isn’t support. It’s a talking point.

Norfolk Southern is establishing property value, health care and water monitoring funds. That is a good start. But Shaw has to listen — really listen — to the concerns of the people who are affected. These are people who are reporting rashes and headaches and other impact.

He says he believes the Environmental Protection Agency and its tests that say the water is safe. Perhaps that is true. Only time will tell.

But it does not change the fact that people are scared. The average household income in East Palestine is about $44,450. That isn’t the kind of net worth that lets you pick up and move in the event of a tragedy. It’s a tether that ties families to the land they fear could poison them.

And Shaw’s glass of water may leave a bad taste in their mouths — even if it is perfectly safe.