Newsletter: East Palestine Train Derailment Response, 4-25-2023
Newsletter serving Serving East Palestine, Negley, Darlington, and surrounding communities
On this page:
Progress Made
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Water Sampling is Expanding
Columbiana County Health District and Norfolk Southern are expanding private well sampling to include two additional priority zones and a more targeted list of chemicals for analysis. The additional testing zones include a one-mile radius around the derailment site and a 250-foot buffer along the potentially impacted streams, extending all the way to the Ohio River. Last week, scheduling started for homes that had previously requested sampling within the now expanded priority areas. If your home is within one of the priority areas, you can request well sampling by calling 330-849-3919.
Soil Sampling Results
Phase 1 of soil sampling is completed and most of the preliminary data are in. Most of the results are within typical ranges for soil and there is no noticeable difference between shallow and deeper soils. Samples taken on private properties are at or below screening levels, and only a few samples taken along public rights-of-way show higher levels of compounds. Next steps include notifying property and business owners, posting data on EPA’s website, and conducting statistical analysis.
The Week Ahead
At the Derailment Site
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Excavation work along the north track has started and will continue.
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Expect increased traffic along East Martin Street.
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Excavated soil and wastewater will continue to be shipped off-site.
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The Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) bus will continue air monitoring. Two similar mobile laboratories, using Proton Transfer Reaction – Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS), will also be monitoring air quality to compare results with the TAGA.
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Taggart Street remains closed to the public.
In the Greater Community
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EPA’s Community Welcome Center remains open to the public at 25 North Market Street in East Palestine. Expect changes to weekend hours over the coming weeks.
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The Way Station will host an informational session on air monitoring and sampling at 109 West Rebecca Street on April 27 from 6 to 7 p.m.
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Water sampling will include two additional priority zones.
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Stream assessments will continue all the way down to Little Beaver Creek.
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Air monitoring will continue at 23 locations around the community.
Community Corner
On April 18, an East Palestine gardening group hosted a phytoremediation and seed distribution event at the First Church of Christ in East Palestine. Seed companies donated a variety of seeds, including corn, mustard, and sunflowers, to the East Palestine community. Environmental engineer Steve Rock gave a presentation on the ability of plants to reduce contamination in soil. For example, vinyl chloride, a chemical released in the train derailment, degrades quickly in soil at a rate of about 25% per week, and plants help it break down even faster. Another chemical being assessed in the area, dioxin, does not degrade much in soil but it does not transfer into plants. Potentially impacted yards have been sampled and special precautions are not needed when planting your garden.
Did You Know?
Track upgrades are underway in East Palestine
Over the last few weeks, contaminated soil under the south track was removed, and excavated areas were cleared and backfilled with clean material. Then, ribbon rails, also known as continuous welded rails, or CWR, were hauled in by train and installed over clean soil and compacted ballast (gravel or coarse stone used to form the bed of a railroad track or road). Ribbon rails are single uninterrupted sections of steel up to several miles in length and are being used instead of pieces of panel rail. Since ribbon rails are continuously welded, they minimize individual weld points and replace jointed areas that can create an uneven and bumpy ride.
Top 3 Questions of the Week
In Case You Missed It
The Way Station and First United Presbyterian Church hosted an informational session about soil where EPA representatives discussed the soil sampling program and demonstrated how they collect and log a sample. Preliminary results will be posted on EPA’s website.
Watch the recording of the meeting.