Norfolk Southern (NSC) CEO Alan Shaw faced heated criticism on Thursday from the Senate over the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that left toxic chemicals in the area.

"I want to begin today by expressing how deeply sorry I am for the impact this derailment has had on the residents of East Palestine and the surrounding communities," Shaw said in his opening statement to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. "I am determined to make this right."

Shaw pledged that Norfolk Southern would remain in East Palestine to assist in the clean-up process "for as long as it takes." Norfolk Southern and several state and federal agencies are still in the "emergency response" phase of the cleanup, which will continue for as long as "obvious, known contamination remains," according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

Chemicals that were spilled and burned off following the derailment — especially vinyl chloride and phosgene — have remained a top concern, as many of them are known carcinogens and irritants, particularly over long exposure.

The Norfolk Southern CEO said that when it comes to paying the health care bills of those affected by the derailment, "everything is on the table," though he did not reveal any specifics about the company's commitment.

So far, Norfolk Southern said it has committed at least $13 million to help the communities affected, including $1 million for initial relief, a $445,000 scholarship fund, and reimbursement for fire equipment used by emergency responders during the event.

According to Anthony Hatch, senior transportation analyst at ABH Consulting, the financial impact to the company won't be significant, but it has been a PR nightmare for the company.

"It's a reputational hit," Hatch told Yahoo Finance Live recently. "And it's just unfortunate that it comes after a period of which there were service issues and the supply chain issues that they were part of, very contentious labor negotiations that they just finished."