Following the February 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the cleanup and remediation process announced by the EPA on February 21 has begun and will be the one to take responsibility for the cleanup process amid pressure on the Biden administration to take stronger action.
"The cleanup process will be largely driven by the level of contamination in soil and water shown by environmental samples."
said Mathy Stanislaus, executive director of The Environmental Collaboratory at Drexel University, who served as assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management during the Obama administration.
Emergency response activities were carried out immediately following the derailment and are currently ongoing. Response activities have included:
- Controlled ventilation and burning of vinyl chloride,
- Transfer of liquids contained in equipment, carts and collection of these liquids for disposal.
- Collection of accumulated liquids from the ground surface through a vacuum truck.
- Rerouting surface water flow through Sulphur Run to avoid the derailment location.
- Construction of overflow dams along surface water bodies to control and collect water in separated phase liquids.
- Construction of an interceptor trench to collect liquids in a separated phase before reaching Sulphur Run.
- Aeration of surface water bodies to promote volatilization and biodegradation of released constituents.
- Surface water sampling.
- Air quality monitoring.
- Soil sampling.
- Waste characterization sampling.
- Residential water well inspections and sampling.
The State of Ohio, in collaboration with local health agencies and local public water systems, is leading the water sampling efforts. The EPA continues to provide additional support to the state. The Columbia County Health District continues to sample private water wells. Until test results are received, the Ohio Department of Health has recommended that residents use bottled water.
Continuing with the reported activities and according to the latest available reports on the incident that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, some of the most relevant events from March 10 to March 30, 2023 will be mentioned.
1. Update of facts
- March 10: Norfolk Southern and EPA began soil sampling in the City of East Palestine and on agricultural farms, in addition to continuous air monitoring on-site and at 29 community stations, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the use of the Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) mobile laboratory for air monitoring routes in the excavation area.
- March 11: Soil sampling, sectional clearance of tracks, removal of soil and placement in a staging area for testing and disposal are continuing. EPA and Norfolk Southern collected 30 soil samples and 18 sites already inspected, in addition to conducting home re-entry testing in the community to eliminate potential vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride contaminants.
- March 12: Norfolk Southern and EPA begin soil sampling at agricultural, residential, commercial and recreational properties in Ohio and Pennsylvania, looking for wind-blown ash or soot. Fifty-two soil samples were collected and 25 sites inspected.
- March 13: EPA held a Community Resource Open House on March 16, 2023 (6-8 pm) in the East Palestine School Gymnasium for residents to voice concerns to agency representatives and learn more about the scientific equipment used to monitor air.
- March 14: Snow cover delays soil sampling and it is rescheduled for the following day.
- March 15: EPA, along with federal, state and local partners, continues to support those affected by the Norfolk Southern train derailment and clean up sites where: - 3.900 tons of contaminated soil at the derailment site and sent to cleanup facilities. Planning begins for the removal of the northbound rail and with EPA oversight, Norfolk Southern takes soil samples beneath the excavated rail track. 6.4 Millions of gallons of liquid wastewater generated from rainfall, cleaning and truck washing were sent to disposal facilities. 616 indoor air detection, no contaminants such as vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride have been detected.
- March 16: Sections of tracks are removed, 5,460 tons of contaminated soil are sent for disposal and placement in a staging area. Northbound lane removal begins. 6.8 million gallons of liquid wastewater are sent away, and 322 visitors are welcomed to the Welcome Center.
- March 17 : The head of the U.S. EPA says it will likely take three months to clean up the toxic derailment site in eastern Palestine. EPA Administrator Michael Regan says more than 6.8 million gallons of liquid waste and more than 5,400 tons of solid waste have been removed and taken to designated sites so far.
- March 18: EPA sends letter to state regulators across the country seeking follow-up cooperation on local and national concerns about waste management and cleanup. Norfolk Southern was notified with Unilateral Administrative Order to seek certified disposal facilities to safely and certified ship waste. Shipped: +639 tons (6,093 tons total) of contaminated soil and 97 soil samples from properties, +175,532 million (7.0 million total) gallons of wastewater, 617 indoor air filters, and 335 Welcome Center visits.
- March 19: Sent: +93 tons (6,186 tons total) of contaminated soil and 97 soil samples from properties, +185,577 million (7.25 million total) gallons of wastewater, 618 indoor air filters, and 338 Welcome Center visits
- March 20: Earthmoving work continues and +615 tons (6,801 tons total) of contaminated soil, +159,251 million gallons (7.4 million total) of wastewater, 618 indoor air tests, and 353 visitors have been sent to the disposal facility at the Welcome Center.
- March 21: EPA releases East Palestine Train Derailment Response Newsletter (3/23/2023) for the Ohio and Pennsylvania community and has been mailed to resident areas. Unified Command is preparing for a forecast of rain for the East Palestine area on Friday, so a diversion ditch was dug to direct stormwater away from the site and two large storage tanks were constructed to hold the runoff for transport and disposal. Final results from soil sampling related to the prescribed burn following the derailment will be available next week. EPA indicates that levels of semi-volatile organic chemicals and dioxins in the samples are similar to typical backgrounds. Shipped: +983 tons (7,784 tons total) of contaminated soil, +111,314 million (7.5 million total) gallons of wastewater, 621 indoor air filters, and 365 Welcome Center visits.
- March 22 : EPA staff will host another community open house on Thursday, March 23, 2023 (6-8pm) in Darlington, Pennsylvania.
- March 23: In the evening, EPA, along with the Columbia County Health District and other agencies, hosted community open houses in Ohio and Pennsylvania. +43 tons (8,442 tons total) of contaminated soil, +181,347 million (7.8 million total) gallons of wastewater, 623 indoor air filters, and 386 visits to the Welcome Center were delivered.
- March 24: The team managed a large rainfall event at the site, storing 200,000 gallons of stormwater. The pumping system kept water in Sulphur Run Creek from coming into contact with contaminated soil and was measured from 5 p.m. Thursday through 4 p.m. Friday, recording 1.2 million gallons diverted to the surrounding area. Data obtained from the soil samples in relation to the prescribed burn was reviewed and final results were scheduled for the next few weeks. During the data review, EPA indicated that the levels of dioxins and semi-volatile organic chemicals in the samples were within typical background levels. Dispatched: +728 tons (9,170 tons total) of contaminated soil, +294,424 million (8.1 million total) gallons of wastewater, 621 indoor air filters, and 390 Welcome Center visits.
- March 25: Significant rainfall continued at the site and water was captured so it did not run off-site and redirected so it did not come into contact with contaminated soil. Residents of East Palestine and Darlington receive the first bulletin in their mailboxes. Mailed: +405 tons (9,359 tons total) of contaminated soil, +304,804 million (8.4 million total) gallons of wastewater, 621 indoor air filters, and 399 Welcome Center visits.
- March 26: Rainfall continued, capturing water so it did not run off-site and redirecting it so it did not come into contact with contaminated soil. Shipments included: +96 tons (9,671 tons total) of contaminated soil, +190,030 million (8.6 million total) gallons of wastewater, 623 indoor air filters, and 408 Welcome Center visits.
- March 27: EPA released an East Palestine Train Derailment Response Newsletter (3/28/23) for Ohio and Pennsylvania communities, as well as a newsletter sent to area residents. Cleanup and review activities continue at the derailment site, while the Blue Lake tanks hold wastewater for disposal. Soil sample results will be available next week, and during the review, the results will be compared to background levels from existing data. The soil removed from under the south tracks and excavated areas are being backfilled based on soil test results; by constantly repeating soil removal and excavation in the areas until testing determines there are levels that protect groundwater, and using the clean soil to backfill the excavated areas. Short videos were filmed from the derailment site describing the work being done to clean up the site, explaining cleanup actions such as liquids and soils prepared for disposal. Sent: 9,171 tons of contaminated soil, 8.6 million gallons of wastewater, 623 indoor air filters, and 408 visits to the Welcome Center.
- March 28: Waste management company Clean Harbors has applied to send at least 675,000 gallons (2.5 million liters) of wastewater from East Palestine to the Back River Water Treatment Plant, which is run by Baltimore officials.
- March 29: Heavy truck traffic has been ongoing at the derailment site. Necropsies of the dead cats show no evidence of chemical toxicity, and the Ohio Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) announced that any animal that died for an unknown reason should be reported to a local veterinarian for guidance and a veterinary order should be placed to send any animal samples or tissue to the ADDL. Sent: +971 tons (11,961 tons total) of contaminated soil, +94,598 million (9.2 million total) gallons of wastewater, 624 indoor air filters, and 429 Welcome Center visits
Sources: EPA; Ohio Governor's office, Pennsylvania Governor's office; CNN reporting https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/23/us/east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment-timeline/index.html
2. Cleaning and Remediation Actions
Nearly two months after the derailment and spill of hundreds of thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals into the air, soil and water around East Palestine, Ohio, authorities have undertaken a massive operation to clean up the hazardous materials. .
The effort to remove large amounts of contaminated soil and water has involved at least seven different permitted hazardous waste disposal facilities in four states: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Texas. Most of the water collected so far has already been transported to disposal facilities, officials say. Much of the soil still remains stored at the site, and more remains to be collected as crews prepare to remove railroad tracks to clean up more soil.
Wastewater and contaminated soil, as mentioned above, are transported off-site in semi-trailers, some of which may go directly to disposal facilities. Other times, waste is loaded onto trains, which then transport the wastewater to other areas, often out of state, before being reloaded onto other trucks destined for disposal facilities. The Ohio EPA will oversee those transfers, officials said this week.
There are thousands of facilities in the U.S., in nearly every state, that are licensed to treat, store or dispose of hazardous waste. But not all types of waste can go to all types of facilities. The type of waste and the nature of the contamination can determine whether the waste is sent to landfills, water treatment facilities or incinerators, for example.
More than 1.2 million gallons of contaminated firefighting water was sent to Texas Molecular outside Houston. Another 320,000 gallons were sent to US Ecology Romulus in Michigan, and nearly 100,000 to a facility in Vickery, Ohio. Hundreds of tons of soil were taken to a facility in Michigan. Still more is destined for incinerators in Grafton and East Liverpool, Ohio, and a landfill in Roachdale, Indiana.
Combined, those sites do not have enough capacity to contain all of the hazardous waste from eastern Palestine, officials said this week, meaning they are still looking for others.
Authorities will continue to look for other disposal sites. The controversy underscores the complexities of a cleanup process that officials are carrying out as quickly as possible. Experts warn that it will likely take years to complete the clearance of East Palestine, if it can ever be considered truly complete.
A. Sampling and Analysis
Air:
Air monitoring continues at 23 locations around the community.
To date, 621 indoor air assessments have been conducted. Air monitoring continues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 23 stations throughout the community. No detections of vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride (HCl) have been identified.
During the earth removal at the derailment site, EPA and independent contractors are conducting air monitoring within the work zone and throughout the surrounding community. This includes continuous air monitoring and sampling at the site and throughout the community, as well as the use of the Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) mobile laboratory. EPA's Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer mobile laboratory is conducting an air monitoring route near the soil excavation area. EPA does not anticipate that levels of health concern will be exceeded as a result of the soil removal work. They will continue to collect outdoor air samples for VOCs (target pollutants of concern and tentatively identified compounds) including vinyl chloride, n-butyl acrylate, and ethylhexyl acrylate.
Air sampling locations were selected downwind of the train derailment area.
For updated information, please follow the link:
https://www.epa.gov/oh/air-sampling-data-east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment
Floor:
The U.S. EPA collected soil and sediment samples at the derailment site to analyze for extended VOCs (target pollutant of concern list and tentatively identified compounds), semi-volatile organic compounds (target pollutant of concern list and tentatively identified compounds), gasoline-range organic compounds, diesel-range organic compounds, oil-range organic compounds, and dioxins.
EPA and Norfolk Southern continue to sample soil at agricultural, commercial, recreational and residential properties in both Ohio and Pennsylvania. To date, 102 properties have been sampled.
EPA soil sample locations were selected near derailed train cars containing hazardous materials. EPA sediment sample locations were selected near surface water sample locations at Sulphur Run.
https://www.epa.gov/oh/soil-and-sediment-sampling-data-east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment
EPA has reviewed preliminary data from some of the soil sampling related to the controlled burn that occurred during the response actions to the train derailment in East Palestine. While final results will be available in the coming weeks, EPA’s review of the preliminary data indicates that the levels of dioxins and semi-volatile organic chemicals in the samples are similar to typical background levels.
Characterization of impacts on groundwater
Groundwater monitoring wells will be installed to the extent practicable within and downslope of the source areas to assess the nature and extent of groundwater impacts associated with the derailment.
While the number and spatial distribution of monitoring wells required has not yet been determined, an approximate well network can be visualized that includes the following elements:
- Wells extending approximately along the northern and southern boundaries of the NSRC right-of-way.
- Wells downstream of the discharge location, in the direction of groundwater flow, and between the release site and overburden water wells or sensitive receptors.
- A small number (e.g., one to three) of hydrogeologically upstream wells to support assessment of groundwater flow direction and hydraulic gradient across the site.
Wells located between the two active tracks will be avoided to the extent possible. Data collection from these locations involves substantial additional risk with little additional value relative to wells outside the immediate track footprint.
Wells will also be placed to assess potential migration pathways to surface waters, supporting (1) measurement of groundwater elevations relative to surface water bodies and (2) measurement of COC concentrations in groundwater near surface water bodies.
Following well installation, a periodic groundwater sampling program specifying monitoring locations, constituents, and frequency will be developed and submitted for review.
Water:
EPA collected surface water samples to analyze for the inclusion of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), butyl acrylate, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. U.S. EPA continues to support water sampling efforts collected by Ohio EPA, ORSANCO, and Norfolk Southern.
U.S. EPA surface water sample locations were selected based on observations of the site and how water flows from and to the site and into nearby streams. Samples were collected from Sulphur Run, Leslie Run, and other waterways downstream of the Ohio River.
https://www.epa.gov/oh/water-sampling-data-east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment
What's next?
Although the precise nature and extent of the impacts requiring remediation are not fully known, the general objectives of future remedial actions can now be defined. These objectives include:
- Removal of readily available phase-separated liquid in order to reduce the total mass of COC.
- Mitigation of ongoing expansion or migration of COC impacts to the extent possible.
- Protection of ecological or human health receptors in Sulphur Run and downstream surface water bodies.
- Protection of human health through prevention of exposure to impacted soil that presents a risk of direct contact, impacted drinking water, or vapor from impacted soil.
- Elimination of easily addressed impacts on storm sewers and similar structures.
A. Earth removal and targets
Soil removal continues at the derailment site and approximately 8,393 tons of contaminated soil have been shipped to disposal facilities. Work at the site includes removing track in sections and removing soil and placing it in a staging area for disposal. Soil removal continues in the southbound rail area; planning for northbound rail removal is underway. During the soil removal process, Norfolk Southern, with EPA oversight, will conduct soil sampling beneath the excavated rail track.
B. Liquid waste disposal
Wastewater is collected to ensure that water does not leave the derailment site or contaminated soil piles. Wastewater is generated after rain falls on contaminated soil and is collected from cleanup and wash trucks before they leave the site. Approximately 7.7 million gallons of wastewater have been sent off-site to appropriate disposal facilities.
C. Corrective technologies and implementation
Remediation components are described below. Implementation details will become more defined and will likely change over time as additional data is collected.
- Soil Excavation: Shallow soil will be removed where feasible to reduce the risk of direct contact and eliminate sources of dissolved phase or vapor phase impacts.
- Separate phase liquid collection: Easily removable liquid (including butyl acrylate, lubricating oil and similar substances) will be collected via vacuum trucks for off-site disposal.
- Surface Water Treatment: The affected surface water will be treated to remove or reduce concentrations of Organic Compounds. Floating dams/barriers and existing aeration stations have been installed. Water is also being treated with activated carbon filtration systems. Actions to reduce emulsification are currently being evaluated.
- Groundwater treatment: Dissolved phase groundwater concentrations will be reduced to prevent migration/expansion of impacts and prevent impacts to drinking water receptors. Details of groundwater treatment will be resolved after further characterization of groundwater conditions (including water well sampling, installation and sampling of monitoring wells, and evaluation of surface water/groundwater interaction).
Treatment technologies will be reviewed and adjusted as more data on dissolved AOCs become available.
Surface water treatment operations will continue, and proposed changes or reductions in operations will be reported to the Ohio EPA.
Authorities say they are still looking for other disposal sites. The controversy underscores the complexities of a cleanup process that officials are carrying out as quickly as possible. Experts warn that it will likely take years to complete the clearance of East Palestine, if it can ever be considered truly complete.
