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  2. East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment

Newsletter: East Palestine Train Derailment Response, 4-18-2023

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

On this page:
  • Progress Made
  • By the Numbers
  • The Week Ahead
  • Community Corner
  • Did You Know?
  • Top 3 Questions of the Week
  • Key Community Resources

Progress Made

Stream Assessments are Ongoing

Teams are checking nearby streams daily, including Sulphur Run, Leslie Run, and Little Beaver Creek. The assessment work includes documenting the absence or presence of sheen, odors, and wildlife. Dissolved oxygen meters are also used to take water quality readings in the waterways. These measures look at the level of dissolved oxygen, which provides a snapshot of water quality conditions at that moment to see if the waterway is suitable for fish and other animals.

Sediment Cleaning Continues in Sulphur Run

Air knifing teams are making progress along Sulphur Run. This process involves poking a pressurized wand into the stream bank to see if there are any pockets of contamination. If any contaminants are released, they are then taken up by a vacuum truck immediately downstream. This process will continue all the way down Sulphur Run until all contamination is released and removed and the stream is cleaned.

The Portable High-throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification System (PHILIS)

PHILIS is one of EPA’s mobile laboratories used for on-site analysis of samples. PHILIS involves three mobile units using stateof-the-art analytical equipment and is sometimes deployed after accidental chemical releases or natural disasters. The labs can analyze soil, water, and air samples for volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, including vinyl chloride that were released during the derailment. PHILIS can process and analyze these samples within 24 hours.

Individual in the stream with scientific instruments monotiring the water
Stream Assessments near Negley
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer on the Portable High-throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification System mobile lab
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer on the PHILIS Lab
Dissolved Oxygen Meter used in East Palestine
Dissolved Oxygen Meter

By the numbers

As of April 14:

  • 25,396 tons est. of contaminated soil shipped
  • 12.2 million est. gallons of wastewater shipped
  • 407 private wells sampled
  • 147 areas sampled for soil analysis
  • 562 Welcome Center visitors

The Week Ahead

At the Derailment Site

  • South track rail restoration is expected to be completed, and train traffic will be restored on the south track.
  • Excavation work will begin along the north track.
  • Expect increased truck traffic along East Martin Street. Designated truck routes may change occasionally due to temporary closures of Pleasant Street during excavation work.
  • Taggart Street remains closed to the public.
  • Excavated soil and collected wastewater will continue to be shipped off-site.

In the Greater Community

  • EPA’s Community Welcome Center remains open to the public at 25 North Market Street in East Palestine. EPA staff are available to discuss your concerns.
  • Air monitoring will continue at 23 locations around the community.
  • Sediment cleaning operations will continue along the banks of Sulphur Run.
  • Stream assessment will continue all the way down to Little Beaver Creek.

Community Corner

Earth with the words Earth Day  April 22 in the forefront

April is Earth Month! Did you know that the Earth Day movement in 1970 helped lead to the creation of the EPA? Legislation on clean air, clean water, toxic substances, and endangered species were passed too. Earth Day falls on April 22 each year. According to EarthDay.org, the theme for Earth Day 2023 is Invest in our Planet. The East Palestine High School Science Club is planting a tree in honor of Earth Day. Here are some other ways to invest in your community and help better our planet:

  • Support your local farmers – Supporting producers in your area will help add dollars back into your local economy. And buying local cuts back on emissions from long-distance transport by air, land, and sea.
  • Bee-friend your local pollinators – Support your local environment by planting native, pollinator-friendly flowers and herbs. The birds and bees will love it!
  • Switch to reusable bags – The average plastic bag is only used for 10-20 minutes. Unfortunately, that plastic bag lives on much longer — even as much as 1,000 years in a landfill. Reusable bags can help lower the amount of litter on land and in the ocean.

Some nearby Earth Day events include a hike at Hellbender Bluff in Lisbon, Ohio, a creek cleanup at Bears Den Run in Mill Creek MetroParks, and an extravaganza at Hopewell Township Community Park.

Did You Know?

SAFETY MINUTE

This past week has been very hot and dry, increasing the amount of dust at the derailment site. Control measures are in place around the site to suppress dust. Large water trucks are used to spray roads, material stockpiles, and areas with active equipment. Street sweepers are also used to suppress dust by wet-sweeping fine dirt and materials from paved roads around the community.

Water trucks suppressing dust on the roads in east palestine
Water trucks suppressing dust

What’s underneath your soil?

Columbiana and Beaver Counties lie within the Allegheny Plateau, which is a large, eroded area of the Appalachian Mountains. The local bedrock, or the hard, solid rock beneath surface materials like soil and gravel, is mostly composed of sedimentary rocks. These bedrock types include layers of sandstone, shale and limestone. Sandstone is a sedimentary rock made of grains of sand that have been cemented together over millions of years. Shale is a brittle, fine-grained rock formed from mineral-rich silt that was deposited in a watery environment, buried by other sediment, and compacted into hard rock. Limestone is a stone created when minerals such as lime precipitate out of water and accumulate with mud and many shell fragments from ancient sea beds and compacted over millions of years.

Sedimentary Rock outcrop at Beaver Creek State Park
Sedimentary Rock outcrop at Beaver Creek State Park 
 

Top 3 Questions of the Week

  • Where are trucks supposed to drive near the derailment site?

  • How does EPA oversee cleanup at the derailment site?

  • How is solid waste stored on-site before disposal?


Key Community Resources

Events

The Way Station and First United Presbyterian Church will host an informational session about soil where EPA representatives will be discussing the sampling program and demonstrating the tools used to collect and log a sample.

When: Thursday, April 20 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Where: 109 West Rebecca Street in East Palestine

Health Resources 

Pennsylvania Residents:

  • Darlington Township Building is closed

  • Call the Department of Health Hotline (877-PA-HEALTH) to connect with a nurse to find appropriate local health care services

Ohio Residents:

  • The East Palestine Clinic is located at 139 North Walnut, East Palestine, Ohio. The clinic will operate:
    • Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. by appointment only
    • The clinic can be contacted by calling 330-383-6020.

About This Publication

This weekly newsletter is being developed through a joint effort of local, state, federal agencies, and community organizations. If you would like more information about topics discussed

  • East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment Emergency Response
  • R5_eastpalestine@epa.gov
  • Call EPA’s Information Line at 866-361-0526
  • PDF version: East Palestine Train Derailment Response Newsletter, 4-18-2023 (pdf) (2.26 MB)

East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment

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Last updated on February 26, 2025
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