On Monday, December 30, the East Palestine Village Council convened at the bi-monthly public meeting where guest speaker Chris Hunsicker from Norfolk Southern and Eric Pohl with the EPA presented a short update on the remaining restoration work and answered questions. Watch the video and review the summary below.
Track Questions
Hunsicker reported that nothing has changed regarding the railroad tracks. Data from ongoing sampling shows nothing beneath the tracks that would indicate the need to remove them now or in the foreseeable future.
Taggart Road Is Open With Flaggers
Hunsicker noted that although work will be ongoing, Taggart will not be closed permanently again. Truck and equipment traffic will continue as the work progresses, but will be controlled with flaggers for driver safety.
Restored Areas
The ditches have been restored and water is flowing freely through them. The tank farms have been removed and all areas dug out and removed, and the ground prepared with topsoil to grow grass next spring. The metal secondary containment walls are going to be pulled down and hauled away and NS will be working with property owners to restore the area to what it was before.
Sampling Completed
Pohl noted that all the sampling sites listed in Appendix E that were scheduled to be completed by the end of the year have been completed on target. With the fieldwork complete, they will conduct a final check of the data to confirm nothing else needs to be addressed.
Remaining Remediation
There are localized areas that have been identified through previous testing north and south of the tracks that still need to be addressed. This work is expected to take place in later winter or early spring, with a completion date to be determined.
Expect the latest issue of the quarterly EPA newsletter detailing this information to be delivered to your mailboxes in January or read the digital issue here when it becomes available.