Last Updated on October 27, 2023 at 9:45am
ATLANTA, Oct. 26, 2023 — Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) announced Thursday soil excavation is set to be completed in East Palestine, Ohio, marking a significant environmental remediation milestone.
This weekend, the final truckload of impacted soil will be removed from the derailment zone and transported offsite, which will substantially reduce heavy truck traffic on East Taggart Street and throughout the village. The next phase of site remediation will include backfilling excavated areas and continued assessment of soil and creek sheens and sediments. All site work has been, and will continue to be, supervised and approved by the US and Ohio Environmental Protection Agencies and Unified Command.
“This milestone is a major step forward in making things right for East Palestine and its residents,” said Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw. “From day one, we committed to thoroughly remediating the site, and our plans included listening and responding to the concerns of the community. Norfolk Southern is committed to remaining in East Palestine for the long haul.”
Since the derailment, Norfolk Southern has worked alongside state, local, and federal authorities to work toward full environmental recovery of the derailment zone and the surrounding area. Key accomplishments include:
- The excavation of impacted soil beneath and between the north and south tracks in the derailment zone.
- 35,000,000+ gallons of water recovered and transported offsite.
- 167,000+ tons of impacted soil removed and transported offsite.
- 5,200 feet of impacted waterways flushed.
- 1,000+ drinking water wells sampled.
- Assessing and washing of Sulphur and Leslie Runs.
- Reopening East Taggart Street to full two-way traffic.
In addition to the next phase of the environmental remediation, Norfolk Southern remains focused on community assistance initiatives. To date, Norfolk Southern has committed and invested more than $96.5 million to East Palestine and the surrounding areas.
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About Norfolk Southern
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid approximately 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.