A view of the scene Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, as the cleanup continues at the site of of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment that happened on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. AP Photo

Matt Freed

Five months after the derailment of its freight train in East Palestine, Ohio, Norfolk Southern has sent a combined $1 million directly to Lawrence County and Darlington Township — located in Beaver County.

Lawrence County has received $340,000 from Norfolk Southern, while Darlington Township — located in Beaver County — has received $660,000, according to a Monday news release from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office.

Local leaders in the two areas will determine how to use the combined $1 million to benefit, the news release said.

In early March, Norfolk Southern agreed to pay out millions to settle damages to residents in Beaver and Lawrence counties. Later that month, the company sent a combined $1 million in reimbursements to multiple fire departments across Western Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has tested plant tissue from crops in Beaver and Washington counties and found no contamination from the train derailment.