EAST PALESTINE– The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and The Ohio State University (OSU) have finalized an Agricultural Plant Tissue Sampling Plan and will next week begin collecting plant tissue samples from East Palestine area farms. ODA and OSU established a procedure to sample and analyze plant tissue materials in Columbiana County to address concerns of the local agricultural community following the Norfolk Southern Railroad train derailment.

ODA plant health inspectors will collect samples of growing crops, specifically winter wheat, pasture grasses, malting barley, and forage covers, which will then be sent to an OSU lab for testing. The plant tissue samples will be analyzed for the presence of a focused list of semi-volatile organic compounds.

OSU, in coordination with local partners, has identified proposed sampling locations within a 5-mile radius of the train derailment site. Farmers have been notified of the date and time that plant health inspectors plan a visit to collect samples. ODA and OSU will communicate to landowners the results of the testing, followed by a public release of the results.

Track and Soil Removal

The sampled soil beneath the south rail line meets the clean standards determined by state and federal authorities. As a result of these findings, contractors have been cleared to rebuild the south rail line. A gravel bed has been placed and compacted in preparation for laying new tracks. Removal of the north track will begin once the south track is fully in place.

Hazardous Waste Removal

According to the Ohio EPA, approximately 10.8 million gallons of liquid wastewater have been hauled out of East Palestine in total. There is currently a pile of approximately 17,400 tons of excavated soil waiting for removal from East Palestine, versus 18,900 tons that have been removed.

Necropsy Results

The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory received a deceased chicken on March 16 from a backyard flock in the East Palestine area. Final lab results show no evidence to support chemical toxicity as a cause of death.