Newsletter: East Palestine Train Derailment Response, 3-28-2023

Newsletter serving Serving East Palestine, Negley, Darlington, and surrounding communities

On this page:

• Progress Made
• The Week Ahead
• Community Corner
• Did You Know?
• Top 3 Questions of the Week
• By the Numbers

Progress Made

Blue Lake Tanks

As EPA continues overseeing cleanup work at the derailment site, large blue lake tanks are temporarily holding additional wastewater for removal and disposal. The lake tanks will reduce EPA’s on-site frac tank footprint. Frac tanks, for smaller quantities of liquid storage, have been used since the derailment to stage liquid before it is removed for off-site disposal.

Preliminary Soil Results

EPA is reviewing preliminary soil sampling data as they are received. Final results will be available in the coming weeks. Part of the review process is to compare results to background levels from existing data.

Soil Testing, Removal, and backfilling at the Derailment Site

As soil is removed from underneath the south tracks, excavated areas are backfilled depending upon soil testing results. Excavated areas are repeatedly tested, and soil is continually removed, until testing shows levels that are protective of groundwater. Clean soil is used to backfill excavated areas.

In the Moment Videos

Last week, we filmed short videos at the derailment site to describe on-going cleanup work. These videos are a way of explaining highly visible cleanup actions, like liquids and soils staged for removal and disposal. These videos can be found on the EPA Great Lakes Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Week Ahead

At the Derailment Site

• Continued heavy truck traffic along designated routes
• Taggart Street remains closed to the public.
• Excavation and construction work will continue at the site.
• Contaminated soil and wastewater will continue to be shipped off-site.
• Construction of two large 1-million-gallon storage tanks (used to temporarily hold wastewater) will be completed, reducing the need for so many frac tanks.

In the Greater Community

• Air monitoring will continue at 23 locations around the community.
• EPA’s Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) mobile laboratory will continue to monitor air.
• A second air analyzer similar to the TAGA is being tested. You may see it following the TAGA bus around town.
• Crews should complete the majority of phase 1 soil sampling.
• Creek agitation and aeration is nearing completion and creek soil washing will continue.

Community Corner

This week, East Palestine High School students received air sensors as part of a loan program with EPA Region 5. These air sensors will give students the opportunity to learn more about air monitoring technology. These sensors are designed to be portable and low cost, requiring little training to operate. Last week an EPA scientist joined a classroom to explain how these sensors compare to the highend equipment we’re using to monitor for contaminants from the derailment.

Did You Know?

Groundwater is water that is stored under the surface. Across the United States, the depth of groundwater varies from tens to thousands of feet below the surface. Surface water describes bodies of water above the surface, which includes creeks, rivers, and lakes. Drinking water, as the name implies, is the water we drink. Drinking water can come from groundwater or surface water. In East Palestine, both municipal drinking water (which is treated by the water utility), and private wells come from groundwater. According to the Ohio EPA, the East Palestine water utility draws water from wells 52 to 98 feet below the ground. In Western Pennsylvania, many residents also receive their water from wells.

Top 3 Questions of the Week

By the Numbers

As of March 31:

• 9,171 tons est. of contaminated soil shipped
• 8.6 million est. gallons of liquid wastewater shipped
• 623 indoor air screenings
• 408 Welcome Center visitors