East Palestine Ohio Train Derailment Timeline
FEBRUARY 2023
Feb. 3
Around 9 p.m., a Norfolk Southern train carrying 151 cars derailed in East Palestine.
Fifty cars derailed, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported. The crash sparked a fire, and 11 of the cars contained hazardous chemicals, which soared into the air and onto the ground.
The train was en route to Conway, Pennsylvania, from Madison, Illinois. The crew started its shift in Toledo, which is located in northwest Ohio. The train traveled through heavily populated areas like Cleveland before derailing in East Palestine, according to the NTSB.
Feb. 4
The EPA says it is responding to the derailment site. EPA begins air monitoring for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate, which were on the train and can be harmful to people, according to the agency.
Residents in East Palestine and surrounding communities were asked to leave the area.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that contaminated runoff from the derailment was discovered in Sulphur Run and Leslie Run, two local creeks.
Contractors with the EPA install booms and underflow dams to restrict the flow of contaminated water as well as contain and collect floating product to mitigate any possible impacts to the Sulphur Run and Leslie Run streams, they say.
Feb. 5
Gov. Mike DeWine activates the Ohio National Guard to assist local authorities.
DeWine issued an “urgent evacuation notice” to anyone who had not yet evacuated within a mile of the train derailment.
Officials issue a shelter-in-place order for the entire town of roughly 5,000 people. An evacuation order is issued for the area within a mile radius of the train crash near James Street, due to the risk of an explosion.
EPA community air monitoring readings do not detect any contaminants of concern, they say. Norfolk Southern’s contractor continues to conduct air monitoring, the agency says.
The National Transportation Safety Board is on the scene to gather evidence and asks the community to submit photos or videos of the incident.
NTSB conducts a one-mile walkthrough of the track outside the hot zone and identifies the point of derailment. The preliminary report is expected in four to eight weeks.
Aeration pumps begin operating at three locations along Sulphur Run and the confluence with Leslie Run. Aeration helps treat contamination by injecting oxygen into the water. The East Palestine water treatment plant confirms there were no adverse effects to the plant, the EPA says. EPA and Norfolk Southern contractors collect surface water samples for analysis.
Feb. 6
To prevent an explosion, Norfolk Southern launches a controlled burn of rail cars containing vinyl chloride. EPA air monitoring detects particulate matter resulting from the fire, the agency says.
Ohio and Pennsylvania authorities communicates with Norfolk Southern and decided to prevent the explosion, according to DeWine.
In addition to real-time air monitoring, the EPA says it is collecting air samples in conjunction with the 52nd Civil Support Team — a specialized unit of the Ohio National Guard — for analysis.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency leads efforts to investigate and address possible impacts to Sulphur Run and Leslie Run, the agency says.
Feb. 7
Residents in the area are told they may smell odors coming from the site because the byproducts of the controlled burn have a low odor threshold – meaning people may smell these contaminants at levels much lower than what is considered hazardous, the EPA says.
One day after the release and burn, Norfolk Southern reported that both railroad mainlines were restored to service.
DeWine says that it was uncertain when residents would be allowed to return to their homes.
The EPA continues to perform air monitoring and work with Norfolk Southern, health departments, and other responding agencies to develop procedures for safely reoccupying the evacuated areas.
The 52nd Civil Service Team conducts air monitoring in three public administration buildings and collects air samples from each building, according to the EPA.
The EPA says it is investigating a complaint of odors from the Darlington Township, Pennsylvania, fire station. A team with air monitoring equipment goes to the station, where it does not observe any contaminants above detection limits.
Feb. 8
The evacuation order is lifted, five days after the derailment, after water samples are analyzed overnight. The results lead officials to deem the water is safe, East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick says at a news conference.
During the press conference at East Palestine High School, DeWine is joined by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick, and other officials from Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The EPA and Ohio EPA find spilled materials in Sulphur Run, the EPA says. Oily product is leaking from a tank car and pooling onto the soil. Norfolk Southern is notified of the spill and begins removing the product using a vacuum truck.
A local couple and business owner file the first-class action lawsuit against Norfolk Southern. The suit accuses the rail company of negligence, stating it failed to exercise reasonable care for residents, with businesses adversely affected by the derailment and chemical spill.
While the press conference was taking place, NewsNation correspondent Evan Lambert was arrested. Standing in the back of the school gymnasium, Lambert was performing a live spot on the air and was accused of being “loud.”
Ohio National Guard Maj. Gen. John Harris and two Ohio State Highway Patrol officers attempted to stop Lambert’s broadcast because he was loud, a statement from the East Palestine Police Department noted. Ohio State Highway Patrol body camera footage shows that Harris pushed Lambert, prompting law enforcement officers to separate the men. Lambert was transported to the Columbiana County Jail, where he was charged with resisting arrest and criminal trespassing before being released on a $750 bond around five hours later.
The Columbiana County Prosecutor’s office turned over the case to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office.
Feb. 9
EPA continues stationary and roaming air monitoring surrounding the derailment scene.
Despite officials deeming the air and water samples safe, some residents still have concerns. Residents are encouraged to get their homes deep cleaned and seek medical attention, if necessary, officials say at a press conference.
The EPA works with Ohio EPA to investigate remaining soil contamination and any impacts on surface water, the agency says. EPA collects samples of spilled material near the derailment site and in Sulphur Run.
Officials say schools will remain closed until further notice from the superintendent.
Mayor Trent Conaway ensures that the school building will be scrubbed “head to toe” and air tested before any child walks back into the building.
END OF WEEK ONE
Feb. 10
Some residents say when they returned to their homes in East Palestine, within a half hour they developed a rash and nausea.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appears to have been the first branch of the Biden administration to publicly remark on its response to the Ohio derailment, tweeting about its efforts on the ground in East Palestine.
EPA is assisting with voluntary residential air screening appointments offered by Norfolk Southern, the agency says. Crews have screened indoor air at a total of 46 homes. There are over 400 requests for indoor air screening remaining.
To increase the rate of screening, Norfolk Southern – with EPA assistance – brings more teams and equipment to East Palestine, according to the EPA.
Ohio EPA leads efforts to investigate and remediate impacts to water, the agency says. Samples from Sulphur Run and other points of nearby water streams are taken for testing.
Norfolk Southern contractors install a dam and a water bypass at Sulphur Run to prevent further contamination of downstream waters, the EPA says.
The EPA sends a general notice of potential liability letter to Norfolk Southern, detailing areas the company may be liable for damages and cleanup related to the derailment. The letter describes chemicals found at the derailment site following the release and burn of vinyl chloride. Some of the derailed rail cars carried vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene, and butyl acrylate—all hazardous chemicals—according to the letter.
Feb. 11
EPA issues a general notice of potential liability letter to Norfolk Southern to document the release or threat of release of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants to the environment. The letter outlines EPA cleanup actions at the site and the potential to hold the railroad accountable for associated costs.
EPA continues to assist Norfolk Southern and Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency with voluntary residential air screening, the EPA says.
Feb. 12
EPA posts a document from Norfolk Southern listing the cars that were involved in the derailment and the products they were carrying.
Air monitoring throughout East Palestine continues, the EPA says. Monitoring since the fire went out has not detected any levels of concern that can be attributed to the incident.
Local schools and the library are screened, the EPA says.
Feb. 13
Reentry air screenings are underway. Community air monitoring will continue operating 24 hours a day.
EPA deploys two more Summa air sampling canisters for continuous sampling.
Buttigieg said the Department of Transportation’s Federal Rail Administration and Pipelines and Hazardous Materials teams “were onsite within hours of the initial incident,” in his first public statement on the East Palestine derailment.
EPA discontinues phosgene and hydrogen chloride community air monitoring. After the fire was extinguished on February 8, the threat of vinyl chloride fire-producing phosgene and hydrogen chloride no longer exists. EPA will continue 24-hour community air monitoring for other chemicals of concern.
Norfolk Southern submits its remedial action plan to the EPA, explaining its response to the derailment so far and recommending additional actions.
The plan explains that pooled liquids were collected into a vacuum truck and prepared for disposal. Surface water flow was rerouted from the derailment site and underflow dams were put in place. Air quality monitoring was underway. Well water sampling was taking place. Soil and surface water sampling is planned.
Feb. 14
No vinyl chloride is detected in any of the down-gradient waterways near the train derailment, Tiffany Kavalec, Chief of the Division of Surface Water at the Ohio EPA says. Active aeration of the waterways near the derailment continues and even though some waterways remain contaminated, the agency says they are confident the contaminants are contained.
About 3,500 fish across 12 different species have died in Ohio waterways, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources says.
The White House said the EPA was “working hand in glove” with Ohio in its first public comments on the derailment on Feb. 14, after a reporter asked press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about the incident.
DeWine holds another press briefing and reports that Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay for the cost of cleanup and damages in East Palestine, and workers from the railroad will remain in the village until the situation is resolved.
Shapiro writes an open letter to Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw announcing that Norfolk Southern’s conduct is under investigation by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. “…failure to adhere to well-accepted standards of practice related to incident management and prioritizing an accelerated and arbitrary timeline to reopen the rail line injected unnecessary risk and created confusion in the process…” Norfolk Southern didn’t “immediately inform authorities as to the number of rail cars that contained dangerous chemicals” and that company officials didn’t “explore or articulate alternative courses of action to their proposed vent and burn.”
The NTSB reports that investigators identify the exact car that initiated the crash. Video shows “what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” the NTSB says.
Feb. 15
Residents pack a high school gym in East Palestine for a meeting with officials to discuss the current state of their community. East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway says he had not "heard anything from the White House" until Feb. 14.
The event hosted by East Palestine officials was supposed to include officials from Norfolk Southern. But the company, which said it had hoped to provide updates on cleanup efforts and results from air and water tests, backed out earlier in the day, saying it was concerned about a “growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event,” stemming from its belief that “outside parties” would participate.
Instead, local leaders take questions from emotional residents who expressed distrust of officials’ accounts and anger – including at the transport company’s decision to skip the event.
Norfolk Southern provides bottled water at their family assistance center, the EPA says.
The Ohio Attorney General’s office dropped all charges against NewsNation reporter Lambert.
EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore attends a community meeting alongside EPA on-scene coordinators and state and local officials to hear residents’ concerns.
Gov. DeWine issues a press release stating that municipal water is safe to consume. Test results from the village’s municipal well sampling showed no water quality concerns, the state says.
DeWine encourages those East Palestine residents with private wells who have not had their water tested to continue drinking bottled water “out of an abundance of caution.”
Norfolk Southern has not removed potentially contaminated soil from the site, new documents posted by the EPA show. Norfolk Southern tells the media it continues to work to clean up the site, including the removal of soil.
“Contaminated soil will continue (to) leech contaminants, both up into the air, and down into the surrounding ground,” Richard Peltier, an environmental health scientist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, tells CNN in an email. “Every time it rains, a flood of new contaminants will enter the ecosystem.”
END OF WEEK TWO
Feb. 16
EPA Administrator Michael Regan arrives in East Palestine to assess the ongoing response to the Norfolk Southern train derailment. The administrator meets with city, state, and federal leaders involved in the response, hearing directly from residents about the impacts of the crisis and discussing EPA’s work. He was the first senior Biden administration official to travel to the site of the derailment.
DeWine asks the CDC for immediate assistance by sending expert medical assistance including doctors and professionals who can evaluate residents experiencing symptoms.
The Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) said it would not declare an emergency in East Palestine—at least for now—according to DeWine. Almost two weeks after the derailment, DeWine requests federal assistance for residents dealing with the aftermath. FEMA declines to help because East Palestine isn’t eligible for disaster assistance, DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney says. FEMA said the derailment and subsequent chemical spill and release and burn that sent toxic chemicals into the air don’t qualify as a traditional disaster, such as a tornado or hurricane, he added.
A Norfolk Southern train derails in Michigan. None of the damaged cars contain hazardous materials, and no injuries are reported.
Norfolk Southern CEO Shaw sent an open letter to East Palestine residents pledging that the railroad would not abandon the community. “We have implemented a comprehensive testing program to ensure the safety of East Palestine’s water, air, and soil. And we have established a $1 million community support fund as a down payment on our commitment to help rebuild.”
Norfolk Southern also debuted NSMakingItRight.com. The website is designed as an information source for East Palestine residents and offers updates on clean-up work, Family Assistance Center services, and a link to U.S. EPA updates on the derailment recovery among other resources.
Feb. 17
Gov. Mike DeWine says no derailment contaminants have been found in homes tested for air quality and that there is a section of Sulfur Run near the crash site that remains severely contaminated.
Requests for medical experts from the federal government have been granted and DeWine says officials should arrive next week to help prop up a clinic for patients.
DeWine says that he would ensure that Norfolk Southern covers all costs for the derailment’s damage, including any future expenses if it’s determined that the toxic chemicals spilled and released cause cancer and other ailments.
A day after alerting DeWine that the derailment does not qualify for an emergency declaration, FEMA announces it will send a team to East Palestine.
The Biden administration announces that it would send toxicologists and medical personnel from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to East Palestine, in response to a request from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and Ohio lawmakers.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announces an investigation by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation into railroad companies’ management of hazardous materials.
Feb. 18
Air monitoring and indoor air screening continue, according to the EPA. Municipal water samples show no water quality concerns, the agency says.
Emphasis is being placed on the recovery of all pooled liquids, excavation of heavily contaminated soil, and removal of all remaining rail cars, according to the EPA. In order to capture any contamination leaving the site, Norfolk Southern establishes a containment area in a section of Sulphur Creek to divert all upstream water around the containment area. The containment area has effectively cut off the introduction of additional contamination into Sulphur Run.
Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) sent a letter to state and federal EPA officials urging them to test for dioxins, which are pollutants that are created when chemicals burn.
The letter raised concerns that burning vinyl chloride “may have resulted in the formation of dioxins,” a group of chemical compounds that only break down slowly once released into the environment.
Feb. 19
The village of East Palestine’s municipal well water sample results show no water quality concerns, the EPA says. The Columbiana County General Health District continues to sample private water wells. To date, 52 wells have been sampled, 49 in Ohio, and three across the border in Pennsylvania, the agency says.
Norfolk Southern continues scrapping and removing rail cars at the derailment location, excavating contaminated areas, removing liquids from affected storm drains and staging recovered waste for transportation to an approved disposal facility, the EPA says. Water continues to be diverted from the upstream wetland area to Sulphur Run.
Feb. 20
Norfolk Southern announces that about 15,000 pounds of contaminated soil and 1.1 million gallons of contaminated water have been removed from the derailment site.
The excavated contaminated soil and water will be transported to landfills and disposal facilities that are “designed to accept it safely, in accordance with state and federal regulations,” the railroad explained.
Norfolk Southern notes that it already has committed more than $5.6 million to East Palestine to date, including $3.4 million in direct financial assistance to families.
Feb. 21
The state opens up a health clinic for residents who worry their symptoms, such as trouble breathing, rashes, and nausea, might be linked to the derailment.
Norfolk Southern’s CEO said that if his family had a house in East Palestine, he would return home.
Investigators are reviewing multiple videos of the train prior to its derailing. One video shows “what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” the National Transportation Safety Board says in a statement.
Biden slams critics of his administration’s response to the derailment in his first public statement on the incident
The EPA announces its legally binding notice ordering Norfolk Southern to handle and pay for all necessary cleanup involved in the derailment.
As part of EPA’s legally binding order, the agency said, Norfolk Southern will be required to:
• Identify and clean up any contaminated soil and water resources,
• Reimburse the EPA for cleaning services to be offered to residents and businesses to provide an additional layer of reassurance, which will be conducted by EPA staff and contractors,
• Attend and participate in public meetings at the EPA’s request and post information online,
• Pay for the EPA’s costs for work performed under this order.
The order will take effect on February 23. If the rail company fails to complete any actions ordered by EPA, the agency says it will immediately step in, conduct the necessary work and then seek to compel Norfolk Southern to pay triple the cost.
After the accusations, Norfolk Southern issued a statement:
“We recognize that we have a responsibility, and we have committed to doing what’s right for the residents of East Palestine,” the company said Tuesday.
“We have been paying for the clean-up activities to date and will continue to do so. We are committed to thoroughly and safely cleaning the site, and we are reimbursing residents for the disruption this has caused in their lives. We are investing in helping East Palestine thrive for the long term, and we will continue to be in the community for as long as it takes. We are going to learn from this terrible accident and work with regulators and elected officials to improve railroad safety.”
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office says it will investigate the train derailment following a criminal referral it received from the state department of environmental protection, according to a statement from the office.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro first mentioned the criminal referral when he was asked what non-financial actions are being taken.
In response to news about the criminal referral, a Norfolk Southern spokesperson said the company had no comment.
END OF WEEK THREE
Feb. 22
EPA Administrator Michael Regan threatens to fine Norfolk Southern if it fails to fully clean up after the mess the derailment left behind, he says, citing the agency’s authority under CERCLA – the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act.
Regan summarizes the EPA’s demands to Norfolk Southern:
“Number one: They will clean up every single piece of debris, all of the contamination, to EPA specifications and satisfaction.”
“Number two: They will pay for it – fully pay for it. At any moment, if we have to step in because they refuse to do anything, we will do the cleaning up ourselves. We can fine them up to $70,000 a day,” the EPA chief said.
“And when we recoup our total costs, we can charge them three times the amount of the cost of the federal government. That is what the law provides.”
Former President Donald Trump visits and speaks to citizens of East Palestine.
“Enough with the politics on this,” National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy says at an update on her agency’s probe. “I don’t understand why this has gotten so political. This is a community that is suffering. This is not about politics.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reports that nearly 44,000 aquatic animals were potentially killed as a result of the incident, and there were anecdotal reports of related illnesses in animals and humans.
Feb. 23 - Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg makes his first visit to East Palestine. Noting that the NTSB released its preliminary findings on the derailment earlier that morning, Buttigieg says that ensuring accountability would be a top priority for the administration. Buttigieg does not publicly mention the derailment until 10 days after it happened.
Feb. 24
Buttigieg calls on Trump to support rail reforms during a visit to East Palestine just one day after Trump accused the administration of “indifference and betrayal” in his own visit.
President Biden says he will not be visiting East Palestine but that he is checking in with his team regularly.
President Biden directs federal agencies (CDC, EPA, and FEMA) to go door-to-door, asking how they're doing and what they need, and connecting them with resources from federal and nonprofit organizations.
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich holds a town hall in front of a crowd of more than 2,000 at East Palestine High School. Brockovich is joined by water expert Robert W. Bowcock and trial attorney Mikal Watts. They are the principles of East Palestine Justice, an organization of lawyers, environmental activists, and scientific and medical professionals providing assistance to eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania residents affected by the derailment. Last year, Norfolk Southern had 770 train car derailments involving hazardous materials, Watts adds, compared to 79 incidents in 2012.
The U.S. EPA orders a temporary pause on shipments of contaminated waste from the derailment site amid objections from Michigan authorities who said they weren’t aware that hazardous materials were headed to their state.
Feb. 25
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's office says that some of the hazardous waste has already been taken to the locations in Texas and Michigan.
"Of the twenty truckloads (approximately 280 tons) of hazardous solid waste hauled away from the derailment site, 15 truckloads of contaminated soil had already been disposed of at the licensed hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility in Michigan. Five truckloads of contaminated soil were returned to East Palestine," an update from DeWine's office. "The licensed hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility in Texas will dispose of liquid waste that has already been trucked out of East Palestine, but no additional liquid waste will be accepted at the Texas facility at this time."
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., says in a statement that she wasn't told contaminated soil from the site of the derailment would be taken to the U.S. Ecology Wayne Disposal in Belleville, Michigan.
Feb. 27
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pledges to hold American freight railroads to stricter standards. Buttigieg, who attended several events around the Kansas City area, says the Biden White House had already been pushing for tighter regulations before the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials in East Palestine, Ohio.
"Currently, about 102,000 gallons of liquid waste and 4,500 cubic yards of solid waste remain in storage on site in East Palestine, not including the five truckloads returned to the village," the Ohio governor's office says. "Additional solid and liquid wastes are being generated as the cleanup progresses." Shipping has been halted due to a lack of communication with the states of Michigan and Texas.
Federal authorities announce the shipment of contaminated waste from the train derailment site in East Palestine would resume on February 28th to two new locations in Ohio. EPA-certified facilities able to accept some of the waste had been identified, according to Region 5 administrator Debra Shore, of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Some of the liquid waste will be sent to a facility in Vickery, Ohio, for disposal in an underground injection well, Shore says. Norfolk Southern will also begin shipping solid waste to an incinerator in East Liverpool, Ohio, and additional solid waste disposal locations were being sought, she said.
Sources: EPA; Ohio Governor’s office, Pennsylvania Governor’s office; various news outlets reporting