On Monday, February 26, the East Palestine Village Council convened at the bi-monthly public meeting where guest speaker Chris Hunsicker from Norfolk Southern presented next steps for the ditch restoration work.
He outlined the upcoming step-by-step process to return the water flow to the north and south ditches along the derailment remediation site. He confirmed that this project concerns only the rainwater that has been detained from flowing in Sulfur Run during the cleanup process. First the soil is tested and cleared in each drainage area. Then the water is tested and only after meeting EPA water quality regulations and determined clean, would it be returned to its original flow.
Hunsicker also added, “After everything is cleared and we’re flowing here, we’re also going to do a formal restoration of the two ditches. … So it’s lined with rock and it doesn’t erode and cause a sediment issue downstream.“
This project will continue in tandem with the ongoing stream remediation plans and is not connected to the waste water collection tanks, as that water will continue to be tested and trucked offsite to disposal facilities that are approved by us and Ohio EPA.
