President Biden to visit East Palestine, Ohio in February
One year ago, on February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, jeopardizing the community's safety and sense of normalcy. Since the derailment, the Biden-Harris Administration has mobilized a comprehensive, whole-of-government response to support the people of East Palestine, Ohio, affected communities in Pennsylvania, and other impacted communities. In February, President Biden will travel to East Palestine, Ohio, to meet with residents impacted by the Norfolk Southern train derailment, discuss Federal support to the community, and hold Norfolk Southern accountable.
Under President Biden's leadership, within hours of the derailment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deployed a team of trained emergency response personnel to East Palestine to aid state and local emergency and environmental response efforts. The Department of Transportation (DOT) also arrived on scene within hours to support the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in their independent investigation of the derailment. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) worked alongside state and local health departments to conduct public health testing and offer technical assistance. Throughout the response and recovery process, the Administration has continued to closely coordinate with the Ohio Governor, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health and local partners, including the Village of East Palestine and Columbiana County.
As President Biden has said from the beginning, the Administration will continue to support the people of East Palestine and other affected communities for as long as it takes, including by using every available tool to hold Norfolk Southern accountable. President Biden pledged he would make Norfolk Southern clean up its mess in East Palestine, and his Administration is delivering. Last February, EPA ordered Norfolk Southern to clean up all environmental damage caused by the derailment, including cleaning or disposing of contaminated soil and water, as well as reimbursing the Federal government's response costs. In September, President Biden issued an Executive Order directing that Norfolk Southern continue to be held accountable for the derailment and address any long-term effects on the community, and to ensure Federal assistance is available to affected communities should needs develop that are not met by Norfolk Southern.
At the same time, the Administration has taken action to improve rail safety and continues to call on Congress to do its part by passing the Bipartisan Railway Safety Act.
The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to the people of East Palestine, impacted communities in Pennsylvania, and other affected communities, and to holding Norfolk Southern accountable, with each Federal agency playing a critical role in the long-term recovery effort:
Environmental Protection Agency
- Holding Norfolk Southern Accountable. On February 21, 2023, EPA issued a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) unilateral administrative order holding Norfolk Southern accountable to clean up the mess it created. Since then, EPA has directed and overseen the extensive cleanup activities conducted by Norfolk Southern.
On October 18, 2023, EPA issued an Administrative Order under the Clean Water Act to Norfolk Southern requiring the company to remove sediments in culverted areas of Sulphur Run stream, and to further delineate, characterize, and, as necessary, remove oil and hazardous substances from the sediments in Leslie and Sulphur Run streams. Sediment and sheen sampling efforts required by the Order are complete, and cleanup is complete in four of five culverts. Additional cleanup in Sulphur and Leslie Runs will begin in early 2024.
- Ensuring the Cleanup is Done Right. The EPA coordinated the oversight of Norfolk Southern's soil remediation of the derailment site. The remediation included testing of the soils within and immediately surrounding the impacted areas for hazardous materials, and ensuring the site is cleaned up to meet Federal and state regulations.
On October 30, 2023, excavation of contaminated soil from the derailment site was completed, reaching one of the most significant goals of the cleanup. Ultimately, more than 176,000 tons (more than 350 million pounds) of contaminated soil were excavated and transported out of East Palestine for appropriate disposal. The final site-wide confirmation soil sampling effort - a final doublecheck to ensure that the cleanup has been fully successful, and that no contamination has spread due to cleanup activities - is underway and will continue through mid-2024.
Additionally, CERCLA hazardous substances have not impacted water in surface streams since mid-May. Weekly drinking water samples from the municipal water system and over 1,200 private well samples have consistently shown no impacts from the derailment and municipal water continues to meet drinking water safety standards.
- Monitoring Air Quality. Since the derailment, EPA has collected more than 115 million air monitoring data points and more than 45,000 samples (air, water and soil) in and around the community. No sustained air monitoring readings or analytical results for the contaminants of concern (vinyl chloride, n-butyl acrylate, and over 70 additional monitored chemicals) have been found above action levels established for the site since the evacuation order was lifted on February 8, 2023. Air monitoring in the community continues as appropriate at site activities to assure protection of the community. Ongoing science-based monitoring continues to show that residents of East Palestine are not at risk from impacted surface water, soil, or air from the derailment.
