East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment
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EPA is committed to protecting the health and safety of the East Palestine, Ohio community.
EPA personnel have been on site since the onset of the train derailment, supporting local and state partners as they lead on-the-ground response efforts.
EPA Announces Settlement Agreement with Norfolk Southern
On May 23, EPA announced a settlement valued at over $310 million with Norfolk Southern holding the company accountable to address and pay for the damage caused by the derailment. Together with other response costs and rail safety enhancements, Norfolk Southern estimates that it will spend more than $1 billion to address the contamination and other harms caused by the derailment and improve rail safety and operations. If the settlement is approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Norfolk Southern will be required to take measures to improve rail safety, pay for health monitoring and mental health services for the surrounding communities, fund long-term environmental monitoring, pay a $15 million civil penalty, and take other actions to protect nearby waterways and drinking water resources.
Read EPA’s news release
The details of the settlement and public comment period are available on the Justice Department’s website
Latest Update: May 24, 2024
- All 14 stream sections in Sulphur Run have been cleared and crews have begun work in Leslie Run. Work is paused for the Memorial Day holiday and will continue on May 28. Work hours will be 7:30 am – 6 pm; however, use of noisy equipment will be limited to 10 am – 4 pm in residential areas. A full re-assessment of both creeks will be conducted after all impacted areas of Leslie and Sulphur Runs are cleaned.
- The return of natural water flow back into Sulphur Run is underway and is complete at six of 15 areas. This work will continue over several months. This return of water to the ditches results in much less water collection volume. This in turn allows for tank farm areas to be decommissioned and for final clearance sampling and restoration to be completed.
- Read the entire update: Updates from the East Palestine, May 24, 2024 (pdf) (149.3 KB)
- EPA’s Welcome Center is open by appointment only. To make an appointment, please call EPA’s information line at 330-775-6517. Questions can also be sent to r5_eastpalestine@epa.gov.
- Read the most recent monthly East Palestine newsletter, released on May 23, 2024. View previous editions of the newsletters on this webpage.
Response Videos
Background
At about 8:55 PM ET on February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, about a quarter-mile west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line.
Twenty of the affected cars contained hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol, ethylhexyl acrylate, butyl acrylate and isobutylene.
More Background InformationUnified Command:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency
- Village of East Palestine
- Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
- Norfolk Southern Corporation
Cooperating and Assisting Agencies include:
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Ohio Emergency Management Agency
- Ohio Department of Health
- Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Beaver County Emergency Management Agency
- Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
- Pennsylvania Department of Health
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
- Ohio Department of Agriculture
- West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
Resources for Residents
Learn more about all resources available for East Palestine area residents
- EPA Information Line: 330-775-6517
- EPA Community Welcome Center in East Palestine: 25 North Market St.,
- By appointment only
- Information Repository: East Palestine Memorial Public Library, 309 N. Market Street, East Palestine, Ohio 44413.
M-Th. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fri-Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.