Making it Right
We are committed to doing what’s right for East Palestine and the surrounding communities to ensure the area recovers and thrives.
Progress Updates: September 27, 2023
Here for the long haul
We’re staying in East Palestine as long as it takes. As we move forward, we will continue to listen to the community, and we will continue our work to help the area recover and thrive.
Community Support to date
$95.2M
We are committed to helping the community of East Palestine recover and thrive.
FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER
11,132+ FAMILY VISITS
We’ve helped thousands of families at our assistance center.
AIR: SAFE
Daily air monitoring continues to show the air in East Palestine is safe. Air monitoring has been performed by both the EPA and an independent team of scientists.
Drinking Water: SAFE
East Palestine Municipal Water
Municipal water continues to be sampled and monitored by Norfolk Southern and the Ohio EPA, along with a team of independent scientists. Results show no water quality concerns.
DRINKING Water Wells
Testing has been performed by Norfolk Southern and the Columbiana County Health District on approximately 953+ drinking water wells. Test results will be shared with individual residents.
SURFACE SOIL: INVESTIGATING AND SAMPLING
Norfolk Southern’s contractor has completed Phase I of the U.S. EPA-approved inspection and testing plan. Final, validated results have been provided to U.S. EPA and landowners whose property was sampled under this program. According to U.S. EPA, its preliminary review of results indicates that most reportable concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and dioxin/furans are consistent with known concentrations for soil in urban and rural areas.
Surface water:
RESTORATION AND SAMPLING CONTINUe
Surface water quality in the area is continually monitored, with more than 3,000 samples collected and validated. We continue to treat and contain impacts. Additionally, we have flushed 5,200 feet of impacted waterways to remove contaminants from the streams.
INCIDENT SITE: ONGOING CLEANUP
In cooperation with federal, state, and local authorities, Norfolk Southern is advancing environmental recovery efforts in East Palestine. Norfolk Southern has reconstructed both mainlines after successfully excavating the impacted soil under the removed tracks and transporting it offsite.
Since early March, Norfolk Southern has bypassed more than 14 million gallons of clean water at the site. This means we put operations in place to avoid generating over 14 million additional gallons of hazardous wastewater, eliminating the need for more than 600 storage tanks and eliminating over 4,000 truckloads around the community.
September 18, 2023
Questions or Concerns
Air: (234) 542-6474
Drinking Water: [email protected]
Soil: (866) 361-0526
Assistance: 800-230-7049 (call during Family Assistance Center operating hours)