The conductor was killed when a dump truck hit a steel facility

The Ohio River Biological Laboratory Investigates the Derailment of a High-Energy, High-Fidelity Vacuum Train

The train engineer applied the brakes and additional braking on the train after an alert of an overheating axle, according the report. “During this deceleration, the wheel bearing failed,” Homendy explained. The train derailed and had to stop because it started an emergency brake application.

The investigation will also look into the train’s wheelset and bearing, the designs of tank cars and railcars, the maintenance procedures and practices, as well as the damage from the derailment, the NTSB report noted.

The NTSB report was described to CNN by a source familiar with the investigation as a “tight presentation of the facts” – and it comes amid mounting questions about how Norfolk Southern, the train’s operator, has handled the incident and the mechanical failures that may have preceded it.

Those five cars “continued to concern authorities because the temperature inside one tank car was still rising,” indicating a polymerization reaction which could have resulted in an explosion, the report said. To help prevent a potentially deadly blast of vinyl chloride, crews released the toxic chemical into a trench and burned it off on February 6 — three days after the derailment.

Further spurring residents’ questions about safety were crews’ decision to conduct controlled detonations February 6 of some of the tanks that were carrying toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride that has the potential to kill at high levels and increase cancer risk.

The state’s public utilities commission told Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine that the train was not considered a “high hazardous material train,” DeWine told reporters Tuesday, an assertion he said he found “absurd.”

The EPA and the Ohio EPA investigate soil and surface water that may be affected by remaining soil contamination. The EPA collects spilled material near the site of the derailed train.

The governor said a chemical plume of butyl acrylate in the Ohio River is currently located near Gallipolis, Ohio, and will be near Huntington, West Virginia, sometime tomorrow. He said the chemical is well below a level considered hazardous by the CDC. Agencies will continue sampling the river water out of an abundance of caution, even though no vinyl chloride has been detected.

The chemicals are a “contaminant plume” that the Ohio EPA and other agencies have been tracking in real time. It’s believed to be moving about a mile an hour, Kavalec said.

The “tracking allows for potential closing of drinking water intakes to allow the majority of the chemicals to pass. This strategy, along with drinking water treatment…are both effective at addressing these contaminants and helps ensure the safety of the drinking water supplies,” Kavalec said, adding that they’re pretty confident that the “low levels” of contaminants that remain are not getting passed onto customers.

Still, authorities are strongly recommending that people in the area use bottled water for drinking, especially if their water is from a private source, such as a well.

Anecdotes in Ohio Waterways Following a Decay by a Derailment of a High-Energy Train: A Statement from the US Environmental Protection Agency

About 3,500 fish across 12 different species have died in Ohio’s waterways following the spill, Mary Mertz, the director of Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources, said.

The initial testing and sampling by the state agency resulted in the estimation of the dead fish. There does not appear to have been an increase in the number of fish killed since the first couple of days following the derailment.

The soil was to be sent to the US Ecology Wayne Disposal in Michigan.

The Ohio EPA’s Office of Emergency Response has an office that deals with emergency response, and the office’s On- Scene Coordination is headed by Kurt Kollar.

Some people in the community have reported health problems, including headaches and rashes, after thousands of fish perished in Ohio waterways after a train derailed.

“Anecdotes are challenging because they’re anecdotes,” Vanderhoff said. Everything we have gathered so far is pointing toward very low measurements.

The head of the US Environmental Protection Agency traveled to East Palestine, Ohio, on Thursday and said the agency plans to hold the train company Norfolk Southern accountable for its role in the derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals earlier this month.

The EPA has the authority to use its enforcement capabilities in relation to the crisis, according to Administrator Michael S. Regan.

“We issued a notice of accountability to the company, and they’ve signed that, indicating that they will be responsible for the cleanup,” Regan told CNN. As this investigation continues, I will rely on the full authority of the agency and the federal government to make sure that this company is held accountable.

The derailment caused the release of hazardous chemicals into the air and surface water. But more recent air monitoring and water sample tests have shown no concerns with air quality or water quality in East Palestine’s municipal water supply, the EPA said Monday. As the data becomes available, more detailed data will be published.

Despite assurances, the chemical odor lingered for days and officials believe thousands of fish died as a result of the pollution.

The East Palestine Derailment and the Environment: Why Is Your Town Frustrated? A Voice from the Norfolk Southern CEO and Mike DeWine

Residents of the East Palestine, Ohio, community, voiced their frustrations during a CNN town hall Wednesday night where they spoke to both Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw, demanding answers about the derailment and the cleanup since, and reassurance about their future.

The agency’s move comes as the emergency response efforts have evolved into an environmental Cleanup that is the responsibility of the railroad, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said during a Tuesday press conference.

“We are testing for the full breadth of toxic chemicals that were on that train that was spilled. We have the capabilities to detect every single adverse impact that would result from that spill, and that’s what we’re doing,” he said.

DeWine said officials from the federal government would be arriving next week to help prop up the clinic.

In anticipation of rainfall, emergency response teams have plans in place to prevent contaminants not yet removed from the derailment site from washing into local waterways during the storms, DeWine said in a statement.

DeWine said the Ohio Department of Agriculture continues to assure Ohioans that its food supply is safe and the risk to livestock remains low following the train derailment.

“I don’t feel safe because I don’t know what the future holds for my town,” said lifelong resident Jessica Conard, whose family has lived in East Palestine for generations. This has the potential to decimate a small town.

“There (were) two options: We either detonate those tanks, or they detonate themselves,” Mayor Trent Conaway told a group of reporters at Wednesday’s meeting. There were harmful chemicals in the air. I am truly sorry, but that is the only option we had. If we didn’t do that, they were going to blow up and we were going to have all kinds of weapons in this town.

Breaking the Chain: The Norfolk-South Train Company’s Absence from a Conference on Tuesday, May 19th, 2007, at the New York Airport

Conaway said Wednesday night that he needed help. I have the village on my back, so I will do everything in my power to make this right. I’m not leaving, I’m not going anywhere.”

Norfolk Southern officials were supposed to attend the event hosted by East Palestine. The company backed out earlier in the day after saying it was concerned about a “growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event.”

“We have become increasingly concerned about the growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event stemming from the increasing likelihood of the participation of outside parties,” the company said in a release.

Nate Velez, who said he lives less than half a mile from where the train derailed, told CNN on Wednesday night that the company’s absence from the meeting was “a slap in the face.”

Velez and his family are temporarily staying in rentals away from the town. He previously told CNN that when he visited the town Monday, a chemical odor left his eyes and throat burning, and gave him a nagging headache.

“Most people did not want to go home, but they had to. He said all of the people who had to return home were complaining of sickness, headaches, and odors. “I have gone back a few times, and the smell does make you sick. It hurts your head.”

The East Palestine freight disaster triggered by the Norfolk Southern Railroad: Why did it happen, and how to make sure we do something about it?

“I was extremely disappointed that they didn’t show up at the town hall meeting last night. The public deserves transparency,” he said. The public deserves the newest information. It is our job to hold this company accountable and I will do that for you.

Speaking to CNN’s Don Lemon, Cozza said the railroad company told her it was safe to return home after conducting air testing. However, she insisted the railroad company conduct soil and water testing and a toxicologist concluded her house was too unsafe to live in.

“Had I not used my voice, had I not thrown a fit, I would be sitting in that house right now, when they told me that it was safe,” Cozza said Thursday.

Crews are still working to respond to the freight disaster in East Palestine as community members worry about possible adverse health effects from the toxic materials released when dozens of cars derailed after a likely mechanical failure.

“EPA has special authority for situations just like this where we can compel companies who inflict trauma and cause environmental and health damage to communities, like Norfolk Southern has done, to completely clean up the messed that they’ve caused and pay for it,” administrator Michael Regan said.

“Norfolk Southern will pay for cleaning up the mess that they created and the trauma that they inflicted,” Regan said. “Norfolk Southern’s mess will not go away, shape or form, and will not be forgiven.”

There have been more than $6 million committed by the company in East Palestine.

In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, CEO Alan Shaw responded to criticism from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, saying the company invests more than $1 billion a year in “science-based” safety solutions, including maintaining tracks, equipment and technology.

Shaw said that the investments in safety didn’t prevent the accident. “We need to take a look at what we can do differently and what we can do better.”

The Norfolk Southern Railroad Derailed on the Fort Wayne Line in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2005 at 7:30 a.m.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro praised the EPA for taking charge of the cleanup from the crash, which took place less than a mile from the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.

“It is my view that Norfolk Southern wasn’t going to do this out of the goodness of their own heart. There’s not a lot of nice things in there. “They needed to be compelled to act.”

The Norfolk Southern train derailed near East Palestine on Friday, Feb. 3, after leaving Ohio on the Fort Wayne Line.

Shaw declined to comment in the CNBC interview on potential causes, citing the investigation. The Federal Railroad Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are looking at the cause of the train wreck.

The derailed cars contained diesel exhaust fluid and a polyacrylamide water solution, along with four nearly empty tanker cars. The Ohio Emergency Management Agency described the materials as “common industrial products shipped via railroad.”

The Ohio Department of Health and Environmental Protection, which operates a clinic in the East Palestine Village, Ohio, following the February 3 evacuation derailment

The order to evacuate was lifted. Since then, some residents in the area have complained of health problems, such as headaches and nausea, and many have expressed concerns over possible contamination of the air and water supply.

Ohio state officials have opened a health clinic in East Palestine for residents who believe they may have health issues as a result of the derailment, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.

He said that the program was created to respond to the concerns that people have of not being able to go someplace and find out if they have a medical problem.

President Joe Biden echoed the sentiment Tuesday, calling the EPA’s order “common sense.” This is their mess. The president said in an post that Norfolk Southern should be cleaned up.

The Governor said that state environmental officials made a criminal referral against Norfolk Southern. The Ohio attorney general is also reviewing all actions the law “allows him to take,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.

Air and water quality testing has so far found no dangers to residents of the small village near the Pennsylvania border after the February 3 derailment, and Regan said he has “absolute confidence” in the agency’s data.

Regan and DeWine took glasses of tap water from a home in East Palestine, Ohio, to diffuse bubbling concerns about the water’s safety.

The Effects of the Train Derailment on Air Quality and Water Quality in East Palestine: A Call for Improved Rail Safety Measures, says President Biden

Pennsylvania’s governor – who also ordered evacuations after the derailment – alleged Tuesday that the train operator gave officials “inaccurate information” and “refused to explore or articulate alternative courses of action,” in the days following the toxic wreck.

Norfolk Southern has committed millions of dollars’ worth of financial assistance to East Palestine, including $3.4 million in direct financial assistance to families and a $1 million community assistance fund, among other aid, the company has said.

Feb. 18 — Air monitoring and indoor air screening continue, according to the EPA. The agency says that municipal water samples are free of water quality concerns.

President Biden called on Congress to help implement rail safety measures and accused the Trump administration of limiting the government’s ability to strengthen rail safety measures.

“This is more than a train derailment or a toxic waste spill – it’s years of opposition to safety measures coming home to roost,” Biden wrote in an Instagram post.

The issue of soil removal became a point of contention after a public document was sent to the EPA that did not list it. It is not yet known what significance or impact the soil that was not removed before the railroad reopened on February 8 will have had on the surrounding areas.

The residents in East Palestine have been concerned about their air and water safety ever since the train wreck and intentional release of vinylchloride from its cars.

The state opened a new health clinic to address complaints of nausea, headaches and other symptoms for residents of East Palestine.

The Futility of the EPA: Investigating for a Trace of a Frequency-Radiation-Disrupted EPA-Flavor Prototype

Asked about the reported symptoms, the EPA administrator said Tuesday that he’s “not discounting what people are experiencing” and asked anyone concerned to seek medical attention.

“I believe people when they say that they’re facing adverse impacts. And what we’re doing is we’re asking them to seek medical attention … then we can take that information and add that as part of our response,” Regan said. “We’re not discounting what people are experiencing at all. We just ask that they seek medical help while we conduct all of our investigations.”

“We need our town cleaned up, we need our residents to feel safe in their homes,” Conaway said at Tuesday news conference. That is the number one thing. You are never going to feel safe anywhere if you don’t feel safe in your home.

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to west central Ohio Monday after a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed there over the weekend, prompting calls to shelter in place before authorities announced the wreck was not hazardous and there was no environmental harm.

The east-palestine train disaster: Jim Stewart, Josh Hickman and the Mayor of East Palestine re-join the conversation

Jim Stewart, who has lived in East Palestine for more than six decades, said the wreck burned down his dreams of retiring soon and selling his house, adding he worries what the home’s value now looks like. He said he’s afraid to take his dog out, because of the strong stench, and wonders if he’ll be able to plant his tomatoes during the summer, after officials said the soil was also contaminated by chemicals.

The train had been travelling between Alliance and Salem at an average speed of 49 miles per hour before it slowed to less than half that speed between Salem and East Palestine.

Since returning to East Palestine, her son has been having bloody noses every day, and she has had issues with her skin.

Another resident, Josh Hickman, said he is still staying at a hotel as he doesn’t feel safe returning home, but he’s had to come into the village a few times and experienced symptoms including headaches, dizziness and blood from his nose – and on Tuesday, sought treatment at the emergency room.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, vinyl chloride, phosgene and hydrogen Chloride are some of the chemicals that are of concern at the site. All these chemicals can change when they break down or react with other things in the environment, creating a stew of potential toxins.

The Mayor of East Palestine said that they were getting everything they needed, except answers. We need answers to our health concerns.

The governor of Ohio stressed during the town hall that he did not want to minimize any medical issues that might be linked to the derailed train.

Medical teams from the US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention will be in Ohio this week, at DeWine’s request.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/23/us/ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine-thursday/index.html

Measurements of East Palestine Public Drinking Water During the Decay of the East Palestine Derailment, and an Order for Their Removal

Shaw said they were going to get the clean up right, they would reimburse the citizens and invest in the long term health of the community. I am going to see this through, and we are going to be here. And we’re going to work with these community leaders to help you thrive.”

Over a half million gallons of water and soil have been removed by the government from East Palestine. The railroad tracks will be taken up so that the soil can be removed.

So far, tests of East Palestine’s public drinking have found “no indication of risk to East Palestine public water system customers” and “treated drinking water shows no detection of contaminants associated with the derailment,” the EPA said in its Sunday update.

The resident said at the town hall that she didn’t use the water since she got home from an evacuee. “I use bottled water. I can not. I don’t trust what they’re saying. I don’t know who’s telling the truth.”

According to the EPA, emphasis is being placed on recovery of pooled liquids, excavation of heavily contaminated soil and removal of all remaining rail cars. In order to capture any contamination leaving the site, Norfolk Southern establishes a containment area in a section of Sulphur Creek to divert all up-stream water around the containment area. The containment area has effectively cut off the introduction of additional contamination into Sulphur Run.

Local authorities imposed a precautionary shelter-in-place order for residents within 1,000 feet of the derailment, which impacted four or five residential homes, said Springfield Fire Chief Dave Nagel. The order was lifted 10 hours after it was placed.

Air Monitoring at a Railroad Station in Darlington Township, Pennsylvania: A First-Call Action Action Against Norfolk Southern Based on a Chemical Spill

The EPA says air monitoring readings don’t detect any pollutants. The agency says Norfolk Southern’s contractor is still doing air monitoring.

There are aeration pumps located at three different locations along Sulphur Run and the confluence with Leslie Run. Aeration helps treat contamination by injecting oxygen into the water. The EPA confirms there was no adverse effects on the East Palestine water treatment plant. Contractors for the EPA and Norfolk Southern collect water samples.

Norfolk Southern started a controlled burn of rail cars containing vinyl chloride to prevent an explosion. The EPA says they detect particulate matter from the fire.

In addition to real-time air monitoring, the EPA says it is collecting air samples in conjunction with the 52nd Civil Support Team — a specialized unit of the Ohio National Guard — for analysis.

Feb. 7 — Residents in the area are told they may smell odors coming from the site because the byproducts of the controlled burn have a low odor threshold – meaning people may smell these contaminants at levels much lower than what is considered hazardous, the EPA says.

The fire station in Darlington Township, Pennsylvania is being investigated by the EPA. A team with air monitoring equipment goes to the station and not see any harmful particles above detection limits.

The EPA and Ohio EPA are looking for spilled materials. There is a leaking tank car and oil on the ground. Norfolk Southern is notified of the spill and begins removing the product using a vacuum truck.

A couple and a business owner have filed a first-class action lawsuit against Norfolk Southern. The rail company is accused of neglect by the residents and businesses who were adversely affected by the chemical spill.

Residents’ Concerns about the East Palestine Air and Water Monitoring since the February 22nd Fire: EPA, Local Officials, and News from a High School Gym

Despite officials deeming the air and water samples safe, some residents still have concerns. At a press conference, officials encourage residents to clean their homes and seek medical attention if they need it.

The EPA says air monitoring continues in East Palestine. Monitoring since the fire went out has not detected any levels of concern that can be attributed to the incident.

phosgene and hydrogen chloride community air monitoring is no longer monitored by the EPA. The vinylchloride fire that was extinguished in February had the potential to produce phosgene and hydrogenchloride. EPA will continue 24-hour community air monitoring for other chemicals of concern.

Residents pack a high school gym to meet officials to discuss the state of their community, CNN reports.

Local leaders take questions from residents who have distrust of officials and are angry at the transport company for not coming to the event.

Regional Administrator Debra Shore attends a community meeting alongside EPA on-scene coordinators and state and local officials to hear residents’ concerns.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/23/us/east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment-timeline/index.html

Monitoring After the Train Wreck in Clark County, Ohio: Water Quality Problems and State of the Act of Investigation after the Grand Unified Railroad

“Contaminated soil will continue (to) leech contaminants, both up into the air, and down into the surrounding ground,” Richard Peltier, an environmental health scientist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, tells CNN in an email. “Every time it rains, a flood of new contaminants will enter the ecosystem.”

I spoke with Gov. DeWine to offer our support after the train derailed in Clark County, Ohio. No hazardous material release has been reported, but we will continue to monitor closely and FRA personnel are en route,” Buttigieg said in a tweet on Saturday.

Feb. 19 — The village of East Palestine’s municipal well water sample results show no water quality concerns, the EPA says. The health district has been sampling private water wells. The agency says that 49 wells have been tested in Ohio and three in Pennsylvania.

“Some of the liquid wastes will be sent to a facility in Vickery, Ohio, where it will be disposed of in an underground injection well,” Shore said. Norfolk Southern will be shipping solid waste to the Heritage Incinerator.

The state opens a health clinic for people who worry that their ailments may be related to the train wreck.

The EPA will offer cleaning services to residents and businesses so that it can provide an additional layer of reassurance.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Investigates the Deceleration of a Trajectories-Comparison Train in East Palestine: A State Environmental Protection Advisory Report

The company said Tuesday that it had committed to doing what is right for the residents of East Palestine.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office says it will investigate the train derailment following a criminal referral it received from the state department of environmental protection, according to a statement from the office.

Number two is the fact that they will fully pay for it. If they refuse to do anything, we will do the cleaning ourselves. The EPA chief said they could fine them up to $70,000 a day.

When we recuperate our costs, we can charge them three times more than the cost of the federal government. That is what the law provides.”

Norfolk Southern safety guidelines do not require train operators to take action until wheel bearings reach 170 degrees Fahrenheit above ambient temperature, the report said. Norfolk Southern requires train operators to immediately stop a train and remove a car that is in the way if there is a critical temperature of 200 degrees.

On hearing the alarm, the engineer “responded immediately” to begin bringing the train to a stop, Homendy said, but as the train decelerated, the wheel bearing failed.

Roller bearings do not work. But it’s absolutely critical for problems to be identified and addressed early so these aren’t run until failure,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy at a Thursday press conference.

The Detonation of an Overheated Wheel Bearing on a 23rd Rail Car: Investigation of the Case of the East Palestine Rail Car Accident

As the train approached East Palestine, a wheel bearing on its 23rd railcar rapidly overheated, its temperature soaring to more than 250 degrees Fahrenheit above the ambient outdoor temperature of 10 degrees.

The data that was collected by the Norfolk Southern defect detectors was included in the report.

There are three hot-box detectors along 30 miles of track near East Palestine. They recorded the temperatures in the wheel bearing.

The train moving at the time of the crash appeared to follow safety rules, investigators said. The speed was 47 miles per hour, just under the maximum speed limit. Positive train control, an automated safety system, was enabled and operational.

The incident has prompted the Department of Transportation to consider new safety regulations, said Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Thursday during a visit to East Palestine.

There are different ways railroads are used, from company to company. I think that’s another example of something that needs to be looked at to try to prevent things like this from happening again,” Buttigieg said.

A National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report found that one of the train’s cars carrying plastic pellets was heated by a hot axle that sparked the initial fire, Homendy said. The report stated that there was video of the train showing something that looked like an overheated wheel bearing.

“This was 100% preventable. … There isn’t an accident. Every single event that we investigate is preventable,” Homendy said during a news conference Thursday. The goal of the board is to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Plus, investigators will review the train operator’s use of wayside defect detectors and the company’s railcar inspection practices. The investigation will involve determining what caused the wheel bearing failure.

The chemical disaster will be a focus of the investigation, as will the manual detonations of tanks carrying toxic chemicals.

Footprints of the Railroad Accidents: East Palestine Residents and a Safety-Advised Recommendation on the Investigation of the Avalanche Crash

Since then, some East Palestine residents have said they are experiencing headaches, dizziness, nausea and bloody noses — a host of health issues they say they did not have prior to the crash.

Casualties, including injuries and deaths, involving railroad employees are not uncommon, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration, which shows there were more than 13,500 incidents involving on-duty employees across the industry in 2022, including 1,060 involving Norfolk Southern employees.

We are deliberative. We are the gold standard when it comes to investigations globally, and we are methodical in our approach,” Homendy said. “But if we see a safety issue that we need to be addressed immediately, something systemic, we will not hesitate to issue an urgent safety recommendation.”

The residents were frustrated as they said officials dodged their questions, leading them to distrust the process.

Jim Stewart, a lifelong 65-year-old East Palestine resident who said he lives near where the crash happened, told Shaw he feels his health has been threatened by the derailment.

Did you shorten my life? I want to retire and enjoy it. How will we enjoy it? You burned me,” Stewart said, addressing Shaw. You have made me angry.

Shaw refused to answer residents’ questions about what caused the crash, as well as the details of the investigation, saying he was barred from talking about it.

The Eastern Pennsylvania Railroad Accident Detector (EPA) and its Environmental Protection Region: State of the Art and Status of the Transportation Safety Board Investigating the Case

Shaw said that the company will review the results of the National Transportation Safety Board investigation and use data to figure out what they could have done better.

After a brief pause, shipments of contaminated liquid and soil from the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, will resume Monday amid concerns – including from other states – about the movement of the hazardous waste.

The Texas and Michigan officials complained that they didn’t receive a warning that hazardous waste from the crash would be shipped to them.

The Michigan and Ohio facilities were, in fact, EPA approved sites, but they are not currently accepting any more shipments at this time, and the EPA is “exploring to see whether they have the capacity” to accept shipments in the future, Shore said.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Anne Vogel stated in an update Sunday that all the rail cars are gone from the site.

The EPA also installed “sentinel wells” near the city’s municipal well field to monitor contaminants in well water as part of the agency’s long-term early detection system “to protect the city for years to come,” Vogel, head of the Ohio EPA, said Saturday.

The hazardous waste material sent to Michigan and Texas is now being processed, the EPA regional administrator told a news conference Sunday.

“These extensive requirements cover everything from waste labeling, packaging, and handling, as well as requirements for shipping documents that provide information about the wastes and where they’re going,” Shore said.

There were about half a million gallons of water already in Harris County, Texas, and they were planning on disposing of about 2 million gallons.

Federal teams in East Palestine have begun going door-to-door to check in with residents, conduct health surveys and provide informational flyers after President Joe Biden directed the move, a White House official told CNN.

A 19-person scientific team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been collecting information about residents symptoms after the train wreck.

The East Palestine Reclamation Center after the February 3 Derailment: When the Water Flows It Will Be Detected And Its Shipment To EPA

About 102,000 gallons of liquid waste and 4,500 cubic yards of solid waste remained Saturday in storage on site in East Palestine – not including the five truckloads returned, according to DeWine. He said more solid and liquid waste are being generated as the cleanup progresses.

Dingell told CNN on Saturday that neither she nor Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were aware of plans for toxic waste to be delivered to disposal sites in her district.

Across the country, Texas Chief Executive Lina Hidalgo expressed frustration that she first learned about the expected water shipments to her state from the news media – not from a government agency or Texas Molecular, the company hired to dispose of the water.

The shipments of half a million gallons of water arrived last Wednesday after an announcement was made Thursday that half a million gallons had already been in the county.

The purpose of the disposal and why Harris County was chosen, as well as information about the chemicals in the water, were some of the things that the office had been looking into.

CNN asked the Ohio agency the location of the remaining 581,500 gallons which had been “removed” but not “hauled off-site” and has yet to receive a response.

Questions about the disposal of toxic waste from the February 3 derailment have added to the controversy surrounding the crash that has also left residents of the town worried about potential long-term health effects.

The mayor of East Liverpool, one of the towns set to incinerate the waste, expressed concerns about the process but said the EPA has assured him that everyone has been following necessary guidelines.

“We have a 2-year-old daughter and of course that’s a concern,” Mayor Gregory T. Bricker said. “But, again, I think this is a state-of-the-art facility that can handle this type of waste.”

There are people in other states who are concerned about how this waste will be transported and how it will be handled. EPA will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to use our longstanding experience and expertise in these matters to ensure the health and safety, and support the East Palestine community and to hold Norfolk Southern accountable,” Shore added.

Monitoring Wells for Freight Rails After the Decay of the First Vinyl Chloride Tank Cars by the U.S. Department of Transportation

Four wells have been installed and up to three more will be drilled this week after the soil under the rails is completely excavated, officials said. Fourteen wells in total are planned.

“These monitoring wells will also support a better understanding of the direction and rate of the ground water flow in the area,” DeWine’s office said.

The federal agency issued an advisory to major freight rail companies to look at the performances of the protective coverings over the pressure relief valves.

The agency believed the aluminum covers on the tank cars might have melted and dripped into some pressure relief devices, degrading their performance.

In an investigative update on the derailment published Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board also said it was “looking closely” at aluminum protective covers used on three of the vinyl chloride tank cars that derailed.

That’s after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent a letter to the CEOs of the companies asking them to join the reporting system and gave them by the end of the week to inform him of their decision.

The agency, which has been probing what may have caused the derailment, has said it could issue urgent recommendations at any point during its investigation.

The company that was ordered to clean up the wreck by the EPA backed out of a town hall with local officials last month because of threats against its employees.

In addition to residents who reported health effects, crews involved in the clean-up have also reported symptoms, according to a letter on behalf of workers’ unions to Buttigieg and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. CNN has reached out to Norfolk Southern for comment on the letter.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said Thursday the state will contract a third-party company to test the waste coming to his state for “dangerous levels of dioxins.” The sampling is scheduled to start on Friday, the governor said.

The process would involve removing one side of the tracks, digging out the contaminated soil, conducting sampling and then replacing the tracks, EPA response coordinator Mark Durno said.

The Norfolk Southern Railroad Accident in Clark County, Ohio, left a legacy of environmental safety concerns after a train wreck on February 3, 2006, when 28 cars jumped onto the tracks

The federal EPA said that Norfolk Southern’s test for dioxins would have to be done in East Palestine. Dioxins are considered to have significant toxicity and can cause disease, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

“EPA will also continue sampling for ‘indicator chemicals,’ which based on test results to date, suggest a low probability for release of dioxin from this incident,” the release added.

The train was carrying butyl acrylate, a material that is used to make plastic and paint. You can take it, eat it or absorb it through the skin. It irritates the eyes, skin and lungs and may cause shortness of breath, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Repeated exposure can lead to lung damage.

She did not know if there could be long-term health effects if the levels in the water are higher than the federal hazard level but said the levels being detected in water sampling were lower than the federal hazard level. A health study currently underway may be able to help shed light on that, she said.

Norfolk Southern general manager for the northern region Kraig Barner said that a train derailed outside of Springfield after 28 cars jumped the tracks.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency director said there was no release of hazardous material to the air or the water.

There were propane and gasoline tanker cars on the train that derailed, but also steel and finished automobiles, according to Barner.

One car was carrying PVC pellets that affected the soil at the crash site, Vogel noted, adding that the EPA “will be onsite ensuring that as cars are removed by Norfolk Southern that the soil is not impacted under the ground.”

The local community of Clark County was assured at a Sunday news conference that their air, water, and soil are safe after the train wreck.

The health commissioner said that they are looking at clean air, clean soil and clean water for the residents. “Technicians will continue to be on site to ensure that there isn’t any contamination that has been missed.”

The assurances come as East Palestine, Ohio, still has to clean up contaminated soil and liquid from a train wreck on February 3.

Last month’s derailment put rail safety under the spotlight and raised questions about regulations surrounding the transport of hazardous materials. Over the past decade, there have been at least 1,000 train wrecks in the US according to the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis.

Clark County Health Commissioner, NTSB, and the East Palestine Derailment: A Transport Safety Culture Probing the Clark County Railroad’s Safety Culture

The Clark County health commissioner said in a Sunday press conference that they are looking at clean air, soil and water. Multiple teams have swept.

The initial assessment of the scene took longer due to the downed power lines, which left 1,500 residents without power on Saturday. State Route 41 remained closed as of Monday morning due to the incident.

“If there’s anything we’ve learned so far, it’s that transparency matters, encouraging facts not misinformation,” Vogel said, thanking local agencies for their swift response. “We’ll continue to be good partners in getting the facts out.”

“At EPA’s request, Norfolk Southern has agreed to provide additional financial assistance to residents of the East Palestine area, including the portions of Pennsylvania within a mile of the derailment site,” the EPA said in a news release. This assistance may include temporary lodging, travel, food, clothing, and other necessities.”

A Norfolk Southern conductor was killed Tuesday after being struck by a dump truck at a facility in Ohio, prompting a National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the railway’s safety culture due to the “number and significance” of recent accidents.

The conductor, identified as 46-year-old Louis Shuster, was fatally injured early Tuesday morning at the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works property, the railroad said in a news release. It is the third incident involving the railroad in the state in just over a month.

The NTSB said in a statement later that its safety culture probe encompasses multiple incidents and three deaths since December 2021, including the toxic East Palestine derailment and the employee killed earlier Tuesday. It is already investigating a October 28 derailment in Sandusky, Ohio.

The Long and Short Journeys of Shuster Shuster and his Son, Eddie Hall, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, on the BLET Division 607

The president of BLET Division 607 was from Broadview Heights, Ohio. Shuster has a 16-year-old son and cared for his elderly parents, and was an Army veteran, the union said.

Pat Redmond is the Chairman of BLET Division 607. He was always available for his coworkers. He was very supportive of veterans who worked on the railroad.

Eddie Hall, BLET National President, said that the situation was tragic and a loss for the members of the union. All railroad accidents are preventable. Significant improvements to rail safety need to be made for both workers and the public.

As the railroad works with the Environmental Protection Agency to remediate the site, it announced a new six-point safety plan Monday designed to help prevent similar derailments in the future.