EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Norfolk Southern to perform additional cleanup work on creeks in the area of the Feb. 3 East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, saying disturbance of sediment on those streams can lead to an “oily sheen” in the water.
The order issued Wednesday covers a 5-mile area of the Sulphur Run and Leslie Run creeks, as well as some 1,200 of culverts along Sulphur Run to remove sediment. The EPA says the work will build on that already done in the area and determine if more cleanup is necessary to address long-term impacts.
“Since the start of the cleanup, we’ve made tremendous progress, but we know there is more work to be done,” EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore said in a press release. “As many folks have seen, the sediment in the creeks in some areas may generate a sheen when disturbed or agitated. In addition to the sampling and clean-up work over the last eight months, EPA will require that contamination from the derailment is identified along the impacted length of the creeks. Through this order, Norfolk Southern will take a thorough look at the waterways to ensure there are no lasting impacts from the derailment.”
