USEPA Issues Administrative Order for East Palestine OH Derailment.

The following was taken from the USEPA Administrative Order CERCLA Docket No. V-W-23-C-004.

General Information

Taken from USEPA Unilateral Administrative Order for Removal Actions

 - CERCLA Docket No. V-W-23-C-004

 - Region 3 and 5

IN THE MATTER OF:

 East Palestine Train Derailment Site

 East Palestine, Columbiana County, Ohio Norfolk Southern Railway Company,

 Respondent

 Proceeding under Section 106(a)

 of the Comprehensive Environmental

 Response, Compensation, and Liability

 Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 9606(a).

Location

Rail Line east northeast of the intersection of East Taggart Street and North Pleasant Drive 

 - Latitude: 40.8360395 Longitude: 80.5222838

East Palastine OH

Located less than 1 mile from the Pennsylvania border.

Features

•  nearest public water supply is approximately 1 mile from the derailment location.
•  a ditch, located on the south side of the tracks flows west for approximately 1,000 ft before it empties into -> Sulphur Run -> which joins Leslie Run -> to Bull Creek -> to North Fork Little Beaver Creek -> to Little Beaver Creek -> Ohio River
•  wetlands and State Line Lake are located immediately adjacent to the NE of the Site

Chronology of Events

 [2023-02-03 Fri 20:55] - train derailment occured

 [2023-02-03 Fri 22:53] - incident reported to the National Response Center (NRC)

 [2023-03-03 Fri 23:30] - EPA Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START) arrived on Site, also onsite were: 

• Norfolk Southern Railway Company, 
• Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), 
• Columbiana County, 
• Village of East Palestine, 
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), 
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), 
• Butler County Incident Management Team (IMT), 
• Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), 
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and 
• other agencies also mobilized to the Site.

EPA coordinated with the Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center (IMAAC) to provide plume modeling throughout the duration fo the derailment fire.

[2023-02-05 Sun] monitoring indicated rising temperatures in a tank car containing vinyl chloride

[2023-02-06 Mon] in consultation with Ohio response officials, vented and burned product into a flare trench

[2023-02-06 Mon] controled vent and burn involved five (5) rail cars containing vinyl chloride in a flare trench, evacuation radius was increased to one-mile by two-miles based on evacuation orders issued by Ohio and Pennsylvania

[2023-02-17 Fri] OEPA reported to EPA that 247,000 gallon of liquid waste have been removed from the Site

[2023-02-18 Sat] 1,557,000 gallons of liquid waste have been collected from the Site

[2023-02-18 Sat] 13,600 cubic yards of grossly contaminated soils have been excavated and staged on Site

Railcars

 20 railcars (19 described) were listed by NSRC as carrying hazardous materials including:

•   vinyl chloride, Stabilized (5)
•   sulfuric acid (5)
•   ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (1)
•   buyl acrylate, stabilized (2)
•   combustible liquids nos (1)
•   isobutylene (1)
•   ethyl-hexyl acrylate (1)
•   empty residue - last contained liquified petroleum gas (LPG) (1)
•   residue - last contained Benzene (2).

Conclusions

Actual or potential exposure to nearby human populations, animals, or the food chain from hazardous substances and pollutants or contaminants.

This factor is present at the Site due to the existence of the discharge of vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate to one or more of the following: 

•  surface soils, 
•  surface waters, and 
•  air. 

Additional

•  ODNR reports the total estimated number of aquatic animals killed at approximately 3,500. 
•  Those animals were found in Sulphur Run, Leslie Run, Bull Creek, and a portion of the North Fork of Beaver Creek.
•  Most of the fish appear to be small suckers, minnows, darters, and sculpin. Most of these deaths are believed to have been caused by the immediate release of contaminants into the water.

Additionally, waste piles containing mixtures of

• vinyl chloride,
• butyl acrylate,
• ethylhexyl acrylate, and
• ethylene glycol monobutyl

either remain on site and pose a threat of exposure should containment be compromised. Acrylate odors continue to be noted along portions of Sulphur and Leslie Run.

Actual or potential contamination of drinking water supplies or sensitive ecosystems.

This factor is due to the release of vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether to surface soils and surface waters. These releases have impacted drinking water resulting in the closure of water intakes on the Ohio River and hae the potential to affect groundwater resources.

Hazardous substances and pollutants or contaminants in drums, barrels, tanks, or other bulk storage containers, that may pose a threat of release.

Presence of damaged rail cars containing isobutylene and residual benzene. As of Feb. 18, 1,557,000 gallons of liquid wastes have been collected from the Site. 

High levels of hazardous substances and pollutants or contaminants in soils largely at or near the surface, that may migrate.

This factor is present at the Site due to the breaching of rail cars releasing, but not limited to:

• vinyl chloride,
• butyl acrylate,
• ethylhexyl acrylate, and
• ethylene glycol monobutyl ether.

As of February 18, 2023, approximately 13,600 cubic yards of grossly contaminated soils have been excavated and staged on Site.