EPA Approves Workplan to Cleanup Sediment in Sulphur and Leslie Runs
EPA Approves Workplan to Cleanup Sediment in Sulphur and Leslie Runs On March 1, EPA approved the Norfolk Southern workplan to complete sediment cleanup in Sulphur and Leslie Runs. While ecological conditions in the streams are improving, assessments of the streams identified areas of oil sheening. In the next few weeks, Norfolk Southern will target and remove oil discharged during the derailment, including additional stream/sediment washing and physical removal of sediments, as appropriate. This will be the final step in returning the waterways to their pre-derailment conditions. Cleanup will be overseen by EPA and Ohio EPA. Read the workplan: Sediment Mitigation Measures Work Plan -Modified (pdf) . EPA requested additional modifications to the workplan that will be added as attachments. Below is a description of these additional attachments, EPA will post the complete workplan in the next few weeks.
- Develop Attachment D - Attenuation Review. This document shall include a thorough, evidence-based, literature-referenced discussion of the natural breakdown of petroleum lube oil, petro oil NEC, and constituents in the environment. The review and discussion are to be related to the physical, chemical, and biological conditions in Sulphur and Leslie Run and is intended to inform consideration of final sheen mitigation steps.
- Develop Attachment E - Culvert 1 Mitigation Options. This document shall describe sediment cleanup approaches which rely on mechanization rather than manual labor-centric approaches which Norfolk Southern will employ to complete sediment cleanup in Culvert 1 where qualitative assessment sheen scores of 2 and 3 were identified. It should leverage technology and engineering to mitigate occupational safety challenges associated with manual labor approaches to underground tunnel work.