[go: up one dir, main page]
LOCAL

EPA orders Norfolk Southern to clean up East Palestine train derailment site

Monroe Trombly Haley BeMiller
The Columbus Dispatch
Feb 20, 2023; East Palestine, Ohio, USA; The wreckage of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine can be seen being cleaned up. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday ordered Norfolk Southern to conduct all necessary actions associated with cleaning up the fiery train derailment in East Palestine, stepping up its oversight efforts after residents complained about rashes and other health concerns.

The order came a little more than two weeks after a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine on Feb. 3, spilling chemicals into the environment and spurring health concerns. Five of the cars contained vinyl chloride, which was discharged through a controlled release to prevent an explosion.

Feb 21, 2023; East Palestine, Ohio, USA; Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks during a news conference at the East Palestine community center. Work continues to clean up the vinyl chloride chemical spill from the Norfolk Southern train derailment on Feb. 3. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

As part of the order, Norfolk Southern will be required to:

  • Identify and clean up contaminated soil and water and transport it to the appropriate facilities.
  • Reimburse the EPA for cleaning services offered to residents and businesses, which will be conducted by EPA staff and contractors.
  • Attend and participate in public meetings at EPA’s request and post information online.
  • Pay for EPA’s costs for work performed under this order.

EPA officials will approve a work plan from the company outlining all steps necessary to clean up the environmental damage caused by the derailment.

If Norfolk Southern fails to complete any actions as ordered, the EPA said it will immediately step in, conduct the necessary work, and then seek to compel Norfolk Southern to pay triple the cost.  

"I know this order cannot undo the nightmare that families in this town have been living with, but it will begin to deliver much-needed justice for the pain that Norfolk Southern has caused," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said during a news conference in East Palestine Tuesday.

EPA administrator Michael Regan gets a handshake from senior minister Bob Helbeck at the First Church of Christ as he visits the health assessment clinic set up in the church basement. Work continues to clean up the vinyl chloride chemical spill from the Norfolk Southern train derailment on Feb. 3.

The EPA will offer cleaning services to area businesses and families in an effort to address concerns of potential indoor contamination and provide residents with "peace of mind," Regan said. According to the EPA, Norfolk Southern will reimburse the agency for the costs of the cleaning services. More details about how to request cleaning services will be announced this week.

Regan was joined by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, as officials sought to assure East Palestine residents that they won't be abandoned.

Officials continue to test the air, water and soil around East Palestine and say the village's water is safe to drink. Results from private well testing are still being processed. Regan said the EPA is confident in its testing technology, but he urged anyone with health concerns to seek medical attention.

"I believe people when they say they're facing adverse impacts," Regan said.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (left) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speak during a news conference at the East Palestine community center. Work continues to clean up the vinyl chloride chemical spill from the Norfolk Southern train derailment on Feb. 3.

Norfolk Southern has pledged that it will stay in East Palestine until the area is cleaned up and returned to normal. But Shapiro said he believes the company needed to be compelled by the EPA to act.

"It is my view that Norfolk Southern wasn't going to do this out of the goodness of their own heart," Shapiro said. "There's not a lot of goodness in there."

Monroe Trombly covers the workplace and environmental issues for The Dispatch.

mtrombly@dispatch.com

@monroetrombly

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.