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  • Is the off-site death of livestock considered environmental damage?

    Under the hazard assessment requirements of 40 CFR Part 68, Subpart B, an owner or operator must document a five-year accident history including all accidental releases from covered processes that resulted in deaths, injuries, or significant property damage on site, or known offsite deaths, injuries, evacuations, sheltering in place, property…

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  • Where can I find soil sampling data and results?

    EPA will release validated (final) and non-validated (preliminary) soil sampling results from East Palestine and surrounding Ohio and Pennsylvania areas as they become available. As soon as the quality of non-validated preliminary data has been fully assessed and documented, EPA will post validated data on the East Palestine, Ohio Train…

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  • What do the symbols and words on my water well sampling results mean?

    One common symbol on results is μg/L, which stands for microgram per liter. This indicates the mass of a chemical in one liter of water. Columbiana County Health District has a guide to help understand terms in well sampling results reports. You can find the guide at Columbiana Health Data…

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  • What are soil sampling results compared to?

    Levels of contaminants in soils are compared to EPA regional screening levels and known typical concentration levels in soil. Screening levels are a tool that responders use to identify potential risks to human health and the environment and if there is a need for further investigation. Screening levels are health…

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  • What is the status of the soil sampling effort?

    As of early May 2023, 148 locations have been sampled. Each location includes a shallow sample (0-1 inch) and deeper sample (1-6 inches). The data were validated by experienced chemists to assess the quality of the preliminary data. During the data validation process, chemists check to see that the data…

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  • What chemicals did the soil sampling plan focus on?

    The soil sampling plan focused on determining if the area was impacted by soot and ash from the vent and burn and if the area was significantly impacted compared to areas not impacted by soot and ash. Samples were analyzed for semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and dioxins (including furans). To…

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  • Why was the well water priority zone boundary extended?

    The priority zones are extended to reflect additional testing done by Columbiana County Health District and Norfolk Southern. The purpose of this extension is to ensure that drinking water supplies downstream to the Ohio River are monitored. The extension is not due to any additional environmental or health concerns. As…

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  • Differences in accident history between Program 1 eligibility and the hazard assessment

    Program 1 eligibility under 40 CFR §68.10(b) is contingent upon the process not having had an accidental release of a regulated substance that led to offsite death, injury, or response and restoration activities at an environmental receptor within five years prior to the risk management plan submission. Additionally, as part…

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  • Program 1 Five-year Accident History and Hazard Assessment Differences

    Pursuant to the risk management program regulations under 40 CFR §68.10(b), Program 1 eligibility requires that the process has not had an accidental release of a regulated substance that led to off-site death, injury, or response and restoration activities at an environmental receptor within five years prior to the risk…

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  • Inclusion of accidents under different ownership in the accident history

    If a facility has recently changed ownership, is the new facility owner required to include accidents which occurred prior to the transfer of ownership in the accident history portion of the RMP submitted for the facility? Yes, accidents involving covered processes that occurred prior to the transfer of ownership should…

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  • Do I have to include on-site incidents in my accident history?

    If I have a large on-site incident, but no offsite impact, would I have to report it in the five-year accident history? It would depend on whether you have onsite deaths, injuries, or significant property damage. You could have a large accident without any of these consequences (e.g., a large…

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