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EAST PALESTINE -- The Region 5 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported on Friday that sediment clean-up in Sulphur Run is "on hold" while collection methods of the visible sheen are reassessed.
According to the work plan, which the EPA approved on March 1 to tackle clean-up following a sheen investigation ordered by the agency is October under its Clean Water Act authority, past methods to contain and collect sheen have included soft and hard booms, turbidity curtains (a flexible barrier meant to to trap sediment in water bodies) and vacuum trucks.
In its most recent update posted to the EPA's website detailing the response and redemption efforts in the wake of last year's train derailment and chemical release, the agency said "work will not be resumed until EPA approves additional methods of containment to ensure all disturbed sheen is contained and collected." Alternative collection methods being considered were not disclosed.
The EPA also reported that the final of five underground culverts is now underway after the agency requested additional modifications to the work plan submitted by Norfolk Southern (NS). The work plan previously stated that clean-up of the final culvert would rely on mechanization rather than manual labor-centric approaches.
The EPA utilized advanced technology in cleaning the first four culverts. That technology included an autonomous, quadruped (four-legged) robotic dog, known as "Mudge," which was developed by Boston Dynamics.
The use of "Mudge" and the drones were used to get a better understanding of what contamination exists underground. The underground portions of Sulphur Run were first assessed last summer using a remotely-operated camera system and a tethered-raft.
"Cleanup activities, including sediment removal, started in the remaining culvert that runs underneath Rebecca Street," the website reported. "The cleaning targets areas where sheen was observed during the assessment -- conducted in December 2023. Multiple layers of containment and absorbent booms are used to ensure no sheen leaves the work area. This is the remaining culvert left to be addressed as four were previously cleaned last year."
In other remediation updates, the EPA reported that the "confirmatory sampling and investigation, known as Appendix E work, is ongoing and approximately 57.3% complete." The agency previously described the Appendix E as the full characterization plan to "double check" that all contamination has been removed from the village and not spread during clean-up efforts. The 544-page document, authored by NS contractor Arcadis, divided the village into sections which were categorized as 1A, 1, 2, 3 and 4, differentiated by the likelihood of contamination in those areas as a result of response efforts. Category 1A is basically ground zero -- where the cars derailed. Category 2 areas are locations where waste containers and cleanup equipment were staged and where potential leakage could have occurred. Category 3 are locations that have a lower probability of impact from the derailment and Category 4 are all other locations. Appendix E also included a vapor intrusion study of the buildings at the derailment site. Soil sampling to ensure that contaminants didn't migrate under those buildings was also included in the work plan, which stated that "potential preferential pathways" would also be considered and identified. CeramFab, Brave Industries, U.S. Stonewares and Strohecker Industries were to be assessed during the vapor intrusion study. No results specific to the vapor intrusion tests have been released. Norfolk Southern's Manager of Environmental Operations Bob Scobie said in October the study could take a year to complete.
Also in October, both Norfolk Southern and the EPA declared that all contaminated soil (177,076 tons) had been shipped off the derailment site. On Friday, the EPA reported that site run-off water, which includes rainwater and snowmelt, continues to be collected and stored in the two one-million gallon tanks, but is no longer considered hazardous. The blue tanks were constructed on North Pleasant Drive to hold the wastewater until it could be disposed of at EPA-approved facilities licensed to accept hazardous waste or treated at the temporary NS wastewater facility.
"Previously, this wastewater was sampled, treated, and sampled again to ensure it could be shipped off-site as non-hazardous. Now, the contaminated soil has been removed from the site and testing of the runoff shows no presence of vinyl chloride or other hazardous materials," The EPA explained. " Because of these ongoing sampling results, this water continues to be shipped off-site as non-hazardous wastewater without additional treatment. This represents great progress and shows how successful the removal of contamination has been."
Remediation progress is also reflected in the decision to return natural water flow and the runoff back into Sulphur Run. Those plans are underway and preparations are being made, which includes extensive testing.
"This work will occur over the course of several months. To prepare for rainwater and water from the upstream wetlands and derailment zone areas to flow naturally again to Sulphur Run, the north and south ditches alongside the tracks and adjacent areas will be sampled starting at the western-most end of the derailment site," the agency said. "Robust testing under EPA and Ohio EPA guidance, oversight, and approval will ensure the soils around and within the ditches have no remaining contamination. Once sampling in the ditch shows naturally flowing water can return, flow will be restored for that area."
According to the EPA, the testing process will repeat area-by-area (nine areas in total) until the full natural flow of water is restored. Surface water sampling in Sulphur and Leslie Runs will continue during this process. None of this water flow will come from currently contained site wastewater.
The EPA said, in the coming weeks, the community can expect to see continuing site-wide confirmation sampling, continuing shipment of untreated non-hazardous water, continuing cleanup activities in Sulphur Run and the remaining culvert.