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  • How is waste leaving the derailment site tracked?

    EPA on-scene coordinators are assigned to track liquid–and solid–waste trucks entering and leaving the derailment site. They log every truck, oversee the loading and covering of waste, truck washing and weighing, and the proper placement of placards. Responders take pictures throughout the process. All trucks go to approved and regulated…

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  • What happens after the track work is completed?

    The track work has been the highest priority to remove most contamination as early as possible. This, plus preventing the spread of contamination by capturing water from the site and constructing a bypass of Sulphur Run around the site will continue into June. While track work and water management continue…

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  • Can MOVES Report Output in Terms of Fuel Consumption?

    See More Frequent Questions about MOVES and Related Models . Although gallons of fuel consumed are not reported by MOVES, the factors used to convert total energy consumption (a MOVES reporting option) to gallons of fuel are contained in the FuelSubtype table (energy content, reported in kilojoules per gram of…

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  • What does the on-site wastewater treatment process on site entail?

    EPA has approved a workplan to allow Norfolk Southern to treat hazardous wastewater on-site, removing vinyl chloride and other contaminants to dispose of the treated wastewater off-site as a non-hazardous waste. Currently, the train derailment site generates nearly one million gallons of wastewater per week from the collection of stormwater…

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  • How do I use MOVES at Project Scale?

    See More Frequent Questions about MOVES and Related Models . The MOVES model can estimate emissions at national, county or project scale. Project scale is useful for estimating an individual transportation project like an intersection or transit project, but it requires detailed inputs that describing the vehicle population and activity…

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  • Where is the treated wastewater going?

    The wastewater treatment system removes derailment contaminants using several steps, including sedimentation and filtration. The treated wastewater is then tested to verify vinyl chloride is below the drinking water standard. Once treated, water is sent to facilities certified to accept non-hazardous wastewater and that are regulated by federal and state…

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  • Are there health risks to driving through Taggart Street?

    There are no anticipated health risks along Taggart Street associated with project activities. As work proceeds, to ensure worker and community safety, the Unified Command will continue to evaluate site conditions for health and safety considerations. While traffic will be able to proceed through the work areas along Taggart Street…

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  • How Can I Determine the Effect of Speed on Vehicle Emissions?

    See More Frequent Questions about MOVES and Related Models . MOVES can be run in either “Inventory” or “Emission Rates” mode. With Emission Rates, MOVES reports emission rates for the 16 average speed bins used by MOVES for each hour of the day and additional emission rate output that may…

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  • How much waste was removed as part of the cleanup efforts?

    In late October, EPA announced the completion of major derailment site excavation. Remaining contaminated soil and debris were removed for off-site treatment or disposal. Contact water continues to be treated in an on-site wastewater treatment system prior to removal for off-site disposal. As of November 13, over 174,000 tons of…

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  • Are the trucks leaving the derailment site spreading contamination?

    Each truck leaving the derailment site that is carrying contaminated waste is checked to ensure all material is safely secured. Also, all trucks go through a washing process before departing the site. The washing process ensures the vehicles’ wheels and undercarriage are free of dirt and mud. Street sweepers are…

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  • What is the research workshop that National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the national academies are planning in East Palestine and the greater community?

    NIH is putting plans in place to work with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to hold a workshop. The purpose of the workshop is to explore potential research priorities to understand the short- and longterm health impacts of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment. The workshop will be…

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  • Does MOVES Incorporate Anticipated Improvements in VOC Emission Factors Resulting from Improved Fuel Economy?

    See More Frequent Questions about MOVES and Related Models . Changes in fuel consumption affect VOC emissions by reducing refueling vapor losses and spillage. Other emissions (such as sulfates) are also affected by fuel consumption. MOVES incorporates changes due to fuel economy requirements that were finalized as of the date…

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  • Can I use MOVES to Model Emissions from Vehicles in other Countries?

    See More Frequent Questions about MOVES and Related Models . The MOVES model was designed specifically to model the emissions from vehicles and equipment designed to meet emission standards in the United States. There are considerable challenges to adapting the MOVES framework to other nations, primarily around the need for…

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  • What is the process for backfilling excavated areas at the derailment site?

    Areas that were excavated as part of the derailment cleanup effort will be backfilled with clean soil. Before soil is chosen as backfill it is tested for chemicals and heavy metals. While the source of backfill is still being identified, some areas have been temporarily backfilled with ballast (large gravel)…

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  • How can I run MOVES3 for the entire U.S or for an entire year?

    See More Frequent Questions about MOVES and Related Models . The most accurate national MOVES runs are done for every county and hour and then averaged together in the output, but, depending on your intended use of the results, it’s also possible to pre-aggregate the MOVES inputs to run the…

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