EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine was in East Palestine Wednesday with state and federal leaders where he provided an update on the continued efforts to clean up the site of last month’s train derailment.
Other agencies that participated in the joint briefing included Ohio EPA, U.S. EPA, FEMA and CDC.
Earlier in the morning, DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine visited the site of the derailment where they were briefed on the status of the hazardous waste removal. They also visited Sulphur Run and Leslie Run for an update on surface water testing and sediment washing.
The DeWine’s also stopped by East Palestine High School to speak to the superintendent.
Region 5 administrator Debra Shore, of the EPA, said during the joint briefing that the U.S. EPA has conducted 585 home re-entry screenings and is continuing to monitor the air at 16 stations throughout the community.
The EPA announced earlier this week that at least three locations in Ohio – including one in Grafton, one in Vickery and another in East Liverpool – are accepting some of the hazardous waste from the site. A fourth location in Roachdale, Indiana was also identified by the EPA as a location where some of the material will be sent.
DeWine’s office released a statement Monday saying that: “approximately 4,832 cubic yards of contaminated soil have been collected from the derailment site.
Norfolk Southern announced Wednesday that CEO Alan Shaw will testify in front of Congress next week about last month’s incident and precautions that the railroad takes to prevent similar crashes. He is likely to face tough questions about whether the railroad has been investing enough in safety as it slashed jobs and streamlined operations in recent years to rely on fewer, longer trains.