Can I walk along Taggart Street?
Pedestrians are discouraged from walking on Taggart Street for safety reasons. Heavy equipment and truck traffic are still present, and there are no sidewalks along some stretches of the street.
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Pedestrians are discouraged from walking on Taggart Street for safety reasons. Heavy equipment and truck traffic are still present, and there are no sidewalks along some stretches of the street.
No, all site vehicles are washed and cleaned before leaving the operational areas. Vehicles carrying contaminated soil are tightly covered and checked before entering Taggart. Street sweepers clean dust and residual dirt from the surrounding roads, so any mud would not be from contaminated areas.
Under Section 312 , if a local emergency planning committee requests a Tier I/II from a facility owner/operator for a substance which is exempt (either under EPCRA, Section 311(e), or the OSHA Hazardous Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200(b)), are they required to comply with the request? If the LEPC requests…
In October 2023, it was announced that the excavation work, which removed the known areas of contaminated soil at the derailment site, was complete. The soil double-check work has been ongoing for months and is expected to continue into the fall. The timeline of our expected completion plans for final…
The upcoming cleanup efforts will focus on oil-based compounds which, based on recent sampling, are the only derailment-related contaminants remaining in the creeks. Please obey all posted signage and continue to avoid access in Sulphur and Leslie Runs until further notice.
For the past several months as the collected wastewater has gone through the system, sample results have shown that the wastewater meets the standards set for vinyl chloride and other derailment-caused contaminants without treatment, meaning it can be disposed of as non-hazardous waste. Testing of the collected wastewater will continue…
Until excavation work and confirmatory sampling are completed, any wastewater collected from the derailment site is considered a “listed hazardous waste” because it may have come into contact with vinyl chloride or other hazardous contaminants from the derailment. Even though the soil contamination has been removed, our double-check work is…
As site work continues and waste is shipped off-site for disposal, there may be times where odors can be smelled. In general, many substances can cause odors in the outdoor air but not be at levels that can harm your health, but they can still affect your quality of life…
There is no reason to believe that the particles in the smoke produced from the train derailment fire contain substances at levels of concern on residential, recreational, or agricultural properties. As an extra step, EPA is directing that soil sampling be conducted in areas most impacted by smoke and particles…
In addition to our overall guidance about soil use and safety, part of the soil sampling plan has been targeted toward recreational sites. If any results indicate a concern, the public will be informed. At this point, there are no concerns with outdoor activities or sports, except for inside Sulfur…
As EPA continues overseeing cleanup work at the derailment site, two large blue lake tanks will reduce EPA’s on-site frac tank footprint. Frac tanks, for smaller quantities of liquid storage, have been used since the derailment to stage liquid before it is removed for off-site disposal.
Section 302 requires owners and operators of facilities that have extremely hazardous substances (EHSs) present above the threshold planning quantity (TPQ) to participate in emergency planning (40 CFR §355.20). If a facility has a pesticide sprayed on its grounds without first being stored at the facility, must the amount of…
How are the quantities of the extremely hazardous substances (EHSs) to be calculated in determining if landfills are subject to the section 302 requirements? EPA realizes the practical problems presented for landfills in complying with the Title III requirements. Owners of these facilities must determine, based on reasonably available information…
Extremely hazardous substances (EHSs) that are in solid form are subject to one of two different threshold planning quantities (TPQs), a lower level or 10,000 pounds (40 CFR 355.15). Why does the list of EHSs only have one TPQ for certain solids, such as sodium cyanide? If a facility has…
We have heard residents’ concerns about potential exposure to vinyl chloride. EPA air monitoring data results show vinyl chloride below levels of health concerns. Available biological tests do not accurately assess exposure to vinyl chloride at levels present from this incident.