EPA orders Norfolk Southern to conduct additional cleanup following Ohio train derailment

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern Corp. to carry out additional cleanup in East Palestine, Ohio, following the Feb. 3 derailment of a company-operated freight train, Reuters reports.

The EPA also has ordered Norfolk Southern to conduct additional investigations into an oily film on water and sediments in two creeks near the crash site.

“Work done under this order will determine if more cleanup is necessary to ensure any potential long-term impacts are addressed,” the EPA says in a statement.

Ohio officials approved the controlled release of hazardous chemicals at the site Feb. 6, three days after the derailment near the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The EPA says the investigations into the oily film will span roughly five miles, extending along impacted areas of both creeks. The order requires using a sediment agitation technique every 25 feet down the creeks to map where sheening occurs. Documenting observed sheen and sediment sampling will also be required to understand what contamination remains in the creeks. 

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“Through this order, Norfolk Southern will take a thorough look at the waterways to ensure there are no lasting impacts from the derailment,” EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore says.

The cleanup of the creeks will also include several culverts spanning roughly 1,200 feet to remove impacted sediment in Sulphur Run downstream of the derailment site, according to the EPA.

In a statement, Norfolk Southern says the order formalizes the continuation of work that has been ongoing since the derailment under a different regulatory scheme. "Norfolk Southern remains cooperative, working with EPA and Ohio EPA at the site, and will continue to address derailment-related impacts in the waterways of Sulphur and Leslie Runs," it adds.

In February, the EPA issued a Superfund unilateral administrative order that compelled Norfolk Southern to eliminate spilled materials and contaminated soil from the location of the train derailment. Since then, EPA Administrator Michael Regan says the agency has completed 98 percent of the environmental cleanup needed at the derailment site.