EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Norfolk Southern has completed removal of soil underneath and between tracks of its main line through East Palestine, the railroad announced Monday, completing a process that had been ongoing since the Feb. 3 derailment.
“We promised to listen to residents and support East Palestine for the long haul. Fully cleaning up both tracks shows that we are keeping our promises,” Norfolk Southern CEO Alan H. Shaw said in a press release. “We fully understand our responsibility to make things right in East Palestine, and as we mark this phase of remediation, we are dedicated to making further progress and investing in the community.”
The process, performed under a protocol approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, included excavating soil and replacing it with approved backfill material, as well as replacement of the track. With that work complete, NS says rail traffic through the community will resume a normal schedule “in the coming weeks.”
Additional remediation work will continue, including removal of soil in other areas, disposal of additional waste, and assessment and washing of the Sulphur and Leslie Run streams.
To date, NS has removed more than 73,000 tons of soil and 20 million gallons of water, work supervised by the U.S. and Ohio EPA and the site’s Unified Command.
NS needs to stop being an unlimited ATM for East Palestine. NS is goinmg to have a threaded fastening device applied to it by the politicians no matter what. So, why bother with unnecessary cash?
Great now they can resume normal operations which will be great news when that happens.