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Ohio and federal officials continue to evaluate train derailment’s impact

State and federal officials continue to monitor the impacts of a Norfolk Southern train derailment and controlled release of chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio earlier this month.  

Speaking during a news conference this week, Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge says livestock do not appear to be at risk.

“To this date there is nothing in the livestock community that causes any concerns to the state,” he says.

Baldridge says livestock producers should contact their local veterinarians with any concerns.

“From the department of agriculture standpoint, we’ve been in contact with folks in the community as far as the veterinarians. Our State Veterinarian Dr. Dennis Summers has been in contact with the folks in that community and that’s what we’re telling people, if you see symptoms in your livestock, reach out to your local veterinarian. We’re in constant contact with them and our stakeholders including Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio State University Extension, and all the people in that community.”

Ohio State Veterinarian Dennis Summers says producers should also reach out to veterinarians to report any death of livestock.

“Animals that die for any reason, whether livestock or pets, the first call should be to your private veterinarian to seek guidance and consultation for that. Our ODA Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory is here to serve the livestock industries and companion owners to do necropsies and diagnostic testing for any cause of death,” he says. “We need to make sure that we’re following the appropriate routing and that those samples that are being submitted or those animals that may be found dead for any reason do come through a veterinarian through our animal disease diagnostic lab and we would run them like we would run any other sample.”  

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called on Congress to require notification when trains carrying toxic materials are traveling through the state.

“Congress should hold hearings,” he says. “We ought to know when there’s something very volatile coming into the state of Ohio. We should have some notice of that. In this case, we had absolutely no notice of it.”

In a statement, Ohio Farm Bureau said there are concerns about how the aftermath of the train derailment will impact farm families, their livestock, land and communities in the short and long term.

The organization says it will continue to work closely with Governor DeWine, along with officials with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio EPA to share member concerns and keep members informed with up-to-date information needed to navigate this challenging situation.

Today, U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited East Palestine to assess the ongoing response to the derailment.

During a news conference he said, “an emergency response effort like this requires a whole-of-government approach; all levels of government working hand-in-hand to keep residents safe. I’m proud to say that’s exactly what’s happening here in East Palestine.”

He says the agency has been conducting air quality testing, assisting in testing indoor air in homes, and supporting Ohio and the local government in determining what impact the spill has had on surface and groundwater.  

Ohio EPA says preliminary results confirm there is no indication of risk to East Palestine Public Water customers.  

According to the agency’s website, water sample results of the Ohio River by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission indicate that the chemical butyl acrylate is present in the plume, but decreasing significantly as trace amounts travel down river. Ohio EPA says all data collected is well below the level of concern and no vinyl chloride has been detected in the Ohio River.

Wildlife officers with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources located dead fish in Leslie Run, Bull Creek, and a portion of the North Fork of Beaver Creek. The department says the estimated stream length affected is about 7.5 miles.

In a statement provided to Brownfield ODNR said, “we continue to work with the Ohio EPA and the environmental company hired by Norfolk Southern to determine the number of fish that were killed.”

The department says it will continue to assess the situation during cleanup.

As of Feb. 8th, it was estimated that the spill killed 3,500 fish, most of which appear to be small suckers, minnows, darters, and sculpin.

In a letter to the East Palestine community, Norfolk Southern Corporation CEO Alan Shaw says the company will stay as long as it takes to ensure the safety of the community and help it recover.

“Our work is underway. Crews are cleaning the site thoroughly, responsibly, and safely,” he says. “…together with local health officials, we have implemented a comprehensive testing program to ensure the safety of East Palestine’s water, air, and soil. And, we have established a $1 million community support fund a s a downpayment on our commitment to help rebuild.”

On Feb. 3, about 50 train cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine. Governor DeWine says residents were warned to evacuate when a rail car was at risk of explosion that could launch shrapnel as far as a mile. The decision was made for crews to carry-out a controlled release and burn of chemicals.

State and federal officials continue to monitor the situation.