Harrisburg, PA – Governor Josh Shapiro and the Shapiro Administration are reaffirming their commitment to the people of Western Pennsylvania affected by the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, with a long-term plan to monitor water resources for any impacts from the accident and the vent and burn. While no water contamination has been found related to the derailment, the Shapiro Administration’s long-term testing plan is designed to give residents peace of mind and demonstrate the Commonwealth’s commitment to remaining on the ground in Beaver and Lawrence counties.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will continue to sample private drinking water wells in Pennsylvania within a one-mile radius of the derailment site over the next ten years after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirms Norfolk Southern’s active remediation is complete. This commitment is included in a proposed federal consent decree between the EPA and Norfolk Southern, which includes funding for the work. Additionally, DEP will oversee Norfolk Southern’s testing of three groundwater monitoring wells located in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Attorney General Michelle Henry are also pushing Norfolk Southern to go further and submitted a comment on the proposed consent decree, asking for the agreement to include more expansive testing, as well as payment from the railroad for health treatment costs for those impacted, stronger monitoring provisions to expand monitoring beyond two miles out from the derailment site, and that Norfolk Southern adopt all the recommendations on rail safety from the NTSB final report on the derailment.
"Since the derailment last February, my Administration has made clear that we are focused on delivering the help our communities need, protecting the health and safety of Pennsylvanians, and holding Norfolk Southern accountable," said Governor Josh Shapiro. "We’re following through on our commitment to keep a strong DEP presence in Western Pennsylvania for at least the next ten years with independent testing for private drinking water wells to ensure there continue to be no long-term impacts from this disaster. My Administration will continue to work with our federal and local partners to support the people impacted by the derailment for as long as it is needed."
While the Shapiro Administration continues to advocate nationally for Pennsylvania residents affected by the derailment, state agencies continue to monitor data on environmental and public health impacts. DEP will continue precautionary monitoring of drinking water and groundwater for an additional ten years after Norfolk Southern ends its cleanup activities.
“There has not been any detection of ongoing contamination related to the derailment and subsequent controlled burn. DEP will continue to monitor the private drinking water and groundwater to make sure that if there is an issue down the road we can both alert residents and take action to address it immediately,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “We are committed to the people of western Pennsylvania that were affected by the derailment, and we are committed to ensuring that their water is safe.”
In April, the Pennsylvania Department of Health conducted a second round of Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE) surveys to assess the health impacts of the derailment for residents and first responders. Results of the latest surveys are being analyzed and will be amended later this fall to the initial ACE surveys of residents and first responders which were conducted following the derailment.
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