Newsletter: East Palestine Train Derailment Response, 5-2-2023
Newsletter serving Serving East Palestine, Negley, Darlington, and surrounding communities
- Progress Made
- By the Numbers
- The Week Ahead
- Community Corner
- Did You Know?
- Top 3 Questions of the Week
- In Case You Missed It
- Community Resource List
Progress Made
Excavation is Underway at the North Track
Cleanup under the south track is complete and the track is now active. The north track has been removed and excavation is now underway. Crews are excavating areas near North Pleasant Drive moving east. The remaining soil will be sampled to ensure contaminated material is removed. Once excavated, soil is staged for removal and sent off-site for disposal.
Solid Waste Staging and Removal
Last week, Waste Pile 5 was fully cleared with all soil waste sent off-site for disposal. Workers then re-lined the area to prepare for additional waste staging from the north track excavation. To prepare the staging area, workers laid new, thicker plastic liners and constructed concrete berms. Plastic liners protect underlying soil and groundwater, and concrete berms prevent runoff.
When soil piles are not actively managed, thick plastic is placed on top for safety.
Additional Geoprobe Investigations
Teams are using Geoprobe sampling drills to collect soil from the derailment site. These machines drill into soil to gather samples at different depths below the surface. This provides teams with information about the extent of the contamination from the derailment so plans can be made to remove it.
The Week Ahead
At the Derailment Site
- As excavation work along the north track continues, construction vehicles will cross the south track to transport soil for disposal. Vehicles will only cross when the south track is clear, and they have permission to pass.
- Norfolk Southern will remove water treatment equipment from Sulphur Run. This equipment includes water pumps, air compressors, and diffusers. Sediment dams will remain in place.
- Expect increased traffic along East Martin Street.
- Taggart Street remains closed to the public.
In the Greater Community
- EPA’s Community Welcome Center remains open to the public at 25 North Market Street in East Palestine.
- The Way Station will host an informational session on private well sampling at 109 West Rebecca Street on May 4 from 6 to 7 p.m.
- Sediment cleaning is expected to start in Leslie Run. As stream remediation and assessment work continues, avoid physical contact with water and sediments in Sulphur Run and Leslie Run.
- Air monitoring will continue at 23 locations around
- the community.
Community Corner
Summer is around the corner and pools are a great way to beat the heat! Mark your calendar for May 27th as the opening of East Palestine’s Community Pool. The pool will be open 12 to 8 p.m., May 27 through 29 and will reopen for the season on June 2. The pool has been drained, power washed, repainted, filled and properly sanitized. A new feature this year will be a concession stand with a limited food menu.
Did You Know?
You may have noticed stainless steel canisters around town. They are called Summa canisters. The canisters capture “a whole air sample” because they do not require a pump due to having a vacuum inside. The pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container allows air to naturally flow into the empty space. They allow a whole bulk air sample to be analyzed for a variety of contaminants.
EPA has used a range of air monitoring and sampling devices to measure contaminant levels.
The devices include:
- Summa canisters: stainless steel containers that capture whole air samples.
- Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA): a vehicle and mobile laboratory that measures realtime contaminant levels in air as it moves from one location to another.
- Passive samplers: small devices that slowly absorb chemicals from the air.
- Portable monitors: handheld devices that detect contaminant levels at the point of use.
- Sorbent tubes: sealed glass tubes that are used with a pump to pull in air and absorb contaminants on the special material.
- Sampling bags: plastic bags that collect whole air samples.
Top 3 Questions of the Week
In Case You Missed It
The Way Station and First United Presbyterian Church hosted an informational session about air monitoring and sampling. EPA representatives showed the equipment used to collect air quality data and showed how to view air monitoring results online.
Key Community Events This Week
On May 4th, The Way Station and First United Presbyterian Church will host an informational session with Columbiana County Health District from 6 to 7 p.m. at the First United Presbyterian Church at 109 West Rebecca Street in East Palestine. Presenters will discuss well testing and how to interpret well water sample results.
Missed last week’s session on air sampling and monitoring?