(EAST PALESTINE,
Ohio)— The following are updates from the State of Ohio regarding
remediation work at the site of the Norfolk Southern train
derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
New, Permanent East Palestine Health Clinic Opening
East Liverpool City Hospital, with support from the Ohio Department
of Health (ODH), will open a new, permanent health clinic in East
Palestine on Monday.
The East Liverpool City Hospital East Palestine Clinic will be
located at 139 North Walnut St. It replaces ODH’s temporary East
Palestine Health Assessment Clinic, which opened Feb. 21.
The new clinic will offer the same services as the former clinic,
but will also provide traditional comprehensive primary care,
including treatment, prescriptions, lab testing, and consultation
with specialists where appropriate. Physicians, registered nurses,
and mental health specialists will be on hand to provide services.
The clinic is a chance for residents to discuss health concerns and
receive a health assessment. Referrals will be made if needed.
Many in the East Palestine community do not have primary care
providers. The state will be providing funding to ensure the clinic
remains available and free for those without insurance coverage.
The clinic will open to patients at 2 p.m. on Monday, and after
that, hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Appointments are needed
and can be made by calling 330-383-6020.
Plant Tissue Testing
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and The Ohio State
University (OSU) have finalized an Agricultural Plant Tissue
Sampling Plan and will next week begin collecting plant tissue
samples from East Palestine area farms. ODA and OSU established a
procedure to sample and analyze plant tissue materials in Columbiana
County to address concerns of the local agricultural community
following the Norfolk Southern Railroad train derailment.
ODA plant health inspectors will collect samples of growing crops,
specifically winter wheat, pasture grasses, malting barley, and
forage covers, which will then be sent to an OSU lab for testing.
The plant tissue samples will be analyzed for the presence of a
focused list of semi-volatile organic compounds.
OSU, in coordination with local partners, has identified proposed
sampling locations within a five-mile radius of the train derailment
site. Farmers have been notified of the date and time that plant
health inspectors plan a visit to collect samples. ODA and OSU will
communicate to landowners the results of the testing, followed by a
public release of the results.
.jpg)
Track and Soil Removal
The sampled soil beneath the south rail line meets the clean
standards determined by state and federal authorities. As a result
of these findings, contractors have been cleared to rebuild the
south rail line. As pictured below, a gravel bed has been placed and
compacted in preparation for laying new tracks. Removal of the north
track will begin once the south track is fully in place.
East Palestine
Hazardous Waste Removal
According to the Ohio EPA, approximately 10.8 million gallons of
liquid wastewater have been hauled out of East Palestine in total.
There is currently a pile of approximately 17,400 tons of excavated
soil waiting for removal from East Palestine, versus 18,900 tons
that have been removed.
Necropsy Results
The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease Diagnostic
Laboratory received a deceased chicken on March 16 from a backyard
flock in the East Palestine area. Final lab results show no evidence
to support chemical toxicity as a cause of death.
|
