Newsletter: East Palestine Train Derailment Response, 4-4-2025
Newsletter serving Serving East Palestine, Negley, Darlington, and surrounding communities
- Progress Made
- Derailment Response Timeline
- Interagency Cooperation
- EPA Engagement at a Glance
- Legal
- East Palestine Resiliency Center
- About this Publication
Progress Made
In February 2023, EPA ordered Norfolk Southern to clean up contamination from its derailment. Later that year,
EPA ordered Norfolk Southern to clean up remaining contamination in Sulphur and Leslie Runs. Cleanup at
the derailment site has moved steadily, safely and carefully (see “timeline” p. 2). EPA has now reached another
milestone with the completion of excavation in the east end of the derailment site. Confirmation, or “doublecheck,”
sampling had successfully identified contamination for cleanup and monitoring. Sulphur and Leslie
Runs have significantly improved since the derailment and EPA continues monitoring these streams.
Air Sampling & Monitoring
Air monitoring and sampling has been constant since the derailment. Now that excavation is complete, Norfolk Southern will submit a proposal to reduce community and work area air monitoring and sampling. EPA will review the proposal before there is any reduction. Air sampling data can be found online: Air Sampling Data
Village Council Meeting Presentation
EPA staff provided a comprehensive update on the response during the East Palestine Village Council meeting on March 24. The presentation focused on where the response has been, the current status of the cleanup and the creeks, and what is upcoming. The meeting minutes can be viewed on the village webpage.
Derailment Response Timeline
1. The first gray box shows the legal timeline. In 2023, EPA ordered NS to cleanup the site and Sulphur and Leslie Runs. The US v NS lawsuit was filed in 2023, and a settlement agreement was lodged and a motion to enter in 2024.
2. The second orange box shows the derailment site timeline. The derailment occurred in 2023, the Main Line Track dig occurred in 2023. The onsite water treatment and holding tanks were installed and used from 2023-2024 - the 1-mil blue tanks were removed in 2024, and surface/rainwater returned to natural flow in 2025. The double check confirmation sampling and spot excavations began in 2023 and completed in 2025. Soil vapor sampling occurred from 2024 to 2025.
3. The second blue box shows the surface water timeline. Air sparging, stream cleaning and sediment washing, sediment and water sampling, culvert cleaning, and a baseline assessment occurred in 2023. Creek sediment cleanup, creek assessment - monitoring and sampling occurred from 2024-2025. Ongoing monitoring continues through 2025.
4. The fourth blue box shows the groundwater timeline. Private and municipal drinking water well sampling and groundwater well installation and sampling started in 2023 and continues through 2025.
5. The fifth green box shows the soil (outside the derailment site) timeline. Soil sampling in residential, agricultural, and commercial locations occurred in 2023. A soot and plume map were published in 2023, and a final soil report, showing no impacts from the derailment, was released in 2023.
6. The sixth red box shows the air timeline. Stationary and roaming community air monitoring and sampling began in 2023 and continues through 2025. Indoor air screening and mobile laboratory sampling occurred in 2023.
Learn about soil sampling QR code goes to Frequently Asked Questions: Soil Sampling.
Interagency Cooperation
Since the beginning of the response, EPA has collaborated with state, local and federal partners, known as Unified Command partners. These partner agencies have been critical to the success of the response. Village leadership including the fire department; county leadership including Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency and Columbiana County General Health District; state partners like Ohio EPA, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Ohio and Pennsylvania departments of health; and other federal agencies including Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Occupational Health and Safety Administration, and National Institutes of Health.
Legal
Department of Justice Proposed Settlement
The federal government’s proposed settlement with Norfolk Southern is valued at over $310 million and holds the company accountable to address and pay for the damage to the environment and natural resources caused by the derailment. The government filed a motion asking the court to sign and enter the proposed settlement with Norfolk Southern. The settlement remains under review by the judge. The consent decree can be viewed online.
East Palestine Resiliency Center
Last year, the Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board opened the Resiliency Center in East Palestine. The center focuses on the mental health of those affected by the train derailment and hosts classes, groups, and workshops which are free and available to anyone. Some services include yoga, chair massage, tai chi, meditation, art workshops, and faith-based groups. The center also provides counseling services which are free for anyone eligible, such as first responders, people who worked in the village, or anyone living in an affected Ohio zip code.
- East Palestine Resiliency Center Facebook page
- 50410 State Route 14 | East Palestine, Ohio 44413 | 330-718-8260