Coal Train Lawsuit Settlement Leaves Unanswered Questions

Samantha Larson reports: "After a week at trial and years of battles, the lawsuit brought on by a coalition of environmental groups against BNSF Railway was settled today, as both sides reached an agreement at the U.S. District Courthouse in Seattle."

The Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, the Sierra Club, Spokane Riverkeeper, and others sued BNSF for violating the Clean Water Act in 2013. By settling out of court, BNSF doesn't admit any violations of the Clean Water Act, but the rail system will pay $1 million to environmental projects in Washington States.

The question that will now go unanswered is whether coal trains are a point-source pollution that contributes to the pollution of waterways.