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  • How does EPA oversee cleanup at the derailment site?

    EPA leads the Unified Command consisting of different agencies to approve Norfolk Southern’s workplans and weekly activities. EPA also coordinates with other agencies to perform oversight, such as with Ohio EPA, the Columbiana County Health District, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. EPA and Ohio EPA personnel oversee safety…

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  • What are dioxins and how common are they?

    Dioxins are found throughout the world in the environment. Dioxins are a result of industrial processes and other activities such as burning fuels like wood, coal, or oil. Dioxins are called persistent organic pollutants, meaning they take a long time to break down once they are in the environment.

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  • What are the health agencies doing?

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) are analyzing their Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE) survey results to assess the health impacts of the train derailment. CDC and ATSDR continue to support the Ohio and Pennsylvania health departments and will be…

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  • Now that the track is rebuilt, what else needs to be done and how long will it take?

    There is still a lot of work to do. Contaminated soil to the north and south of the tracks need to be removed. A full site assessment, including extensive sampling, of areas and properties near the derailment site needs to be conducted. A full assessment of impacted creeks will be…

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  • I have heard about research being conducted by the University of Kentucky. What is the health tracking survey?

    University of Kentucky College of Public Health researcher Dr. Erin N. Haynes and her team received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a long-term health study with and for the residents of East Palestine and the surrounding area. The first step is to learn more…

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  • What kind of screening does the East Liverpool City Hospital's East Palestine Clinic offer related to the train derailment?

    The screening tests are based on recommendations by specialists in toxicology to monitor anyone exposed to substances from the train derailment. The tests include urine and blood tests. A urinalysis is done that looks for problems involving the kidneys. The blood tests include a complete blood count (CBC) and a…

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  • Are any other tests ordered?

    There may be based on the evaluation by the physician or other healthcare provider. If a patient is having specific symptoms there may be other tests needed. For example, if a patient is short of breath, they may need to have a chest x-ray or other tests done to evaluate…

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  • If there is a government shutdown, will work continue on the cleanup?

    A 45-day continuing resolution was recently passed to avoid a shutdown. EPA’s emergency response efforts, such as in East Palestine, would move forward under a lapse in appropriation. As a result, EPA personnel would continue to fully support those efforts during a lapse.

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  • What is the process for refilling 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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  • Do settlement communications, such as past “agreements in principle,” impact the implementation of the final Consent Decrees?

    The parties are bound by the terms of the various final, publicly available consent decrees. These consent decrees were made available for public comment before they were finalized and entered by the Court. Past settlement communications and documents created in the course of settlement discussions have been incorporated (or not)…

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  • How does EPA ensure that the potentially responsible parties complete their work?

    All cleanup activities performed by the PRPs are subject to enforcement instruments (i.e., consent decrees or administrative orders) that provide for EPA approval of all deliverables and oversight of all work performed by the PRPs.

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  • What is the Confidentiality Order?

    The Confidentiality Order (Order) is a court order entered by the Federal District Court for the District of Montana (Court) on August 8, 2002, and amended by the Court on December 31, 2003, that applies to Superfund settlement negotiations in the Clark Fork River Basin, including the following sites: Silver…

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  • Are there specific medical tests available for vinyl chloride?

    Medical tests to determine if you have been exposed to vinyl chloride include measuring vinylchloride in your breath but must be collected shortly after exposure. The test is not useful forvery low levels of exposure. Thiodiglycolic acid, which is a breakdown product of vinyl chloride detected in urine, can also…

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  • How do federal and state agencies get notified of a chemical or oil spill requiring an emergency response?

    By law, companies or individuals who spill hazardous chemicals or oil are required to call the National Response Center (NRC) if the quantity is above reporting limits. The NRC then notifies federal, state and local responders. Most States have additional reporting requirements that are separate from the NRC.

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  • Why is the Confidentiality Order important?

    The Confidentiality Order (Order) has been, and continues to be, effective in assisting the parties in reaching settlements under the framework established by the Court in US v. ARCO and still pending in court – six consent decrees to date have been entered since the Order was issued. There are…

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