EAST PALESTINE — Results from the most recent creek assessment to determine contamination levels remaining from the 2023 train derailment will be reported this month, Norfolk Southern reported on its website nsmakingitright.com.

“Data from the March/April 2025 stream reassessment has been validated and will be reported in June,” the railroad reported. “No human health risks related to the derailment were identified in surface water in the two previous assessments performed in 2024.”

The condition of the creeks has been a point of contention between residents, the railroad and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ever since toxic material spilled in the derailment of 28 cars made its way into tributary Sulphur Run and eventually to Leslie Run.

Remediation work in the creeks ramped up in October of 2023 when the the EPA, under the agency’s Clean Water Act authority, issued an order to Norfolk Southern that instructed the railroad to conduct additional cleanup and sheen investigations focused on oily sheens and sediments in both waterways.

The visible sheen has been recorded by residents — most notably Rick Tsai, Randy DeHaven and Christina Siceloff — with the videos racking up thousands of views on social media. The rainbow sheen was also shown in a video posted by then-U.S. senator and now vice president JD Vance. The viral footage shows Vance days after the derailment, stirring up what appears to be cloudy and colorful film with a stick.

Following the order from the EPA, a qualitative assessment to look for sheen in Sulphur and Leslie Runs began at the end of 2023. The process involved agitating the stream sediment and turning over rocks and then grading sheen uncovered on a scale of 0-3 — 0 being no sheen visible and 3 being heavy sheen. According to Sulphur Run Characterization Work Plan authored by Norfolk Southern contractor Arcadid, early sheen-scoring within Sulphur Run reflected heavy sheen with no areas of the creek scoring a zero and all areas graded 2 or 3.

Since then, assessment of the creeks have continued and are continuing. Areas of the waterways that still indicated contamination through sheen identification in the last assessment.

Most recently, heavy sheen was still observed in April in segments of Sulphur Run with Leslie Run still having areas of medium sheen in the upper portion (where Sulphur feeds into it near the East Palestine City Park entrance).

“Crews continue reevaluation of certain segments of the streams where sheens were identified in the March/April 2025 reassessment,” Norfolk Southern reported. “The evaluations will inform the nature, scope, and timing of next steps in these areas. The community should anticipate periodic crew presence in the streams as these evaluations are performed.”

In other remediation news, the railroad reported that “site restoration activities continue as weather allows” and that “restoration is anticipated to be substantially complete within the next few weeks.”

Norfolk Southern also reported that “ongoing monitoring of surface water, groundwater, and drinking water wells continues” and will include EPA-approved sediment and water and sampling efforts in the East End wetlands. Elevated levels of 2-butoxyethanol were found in the area earlier this year. Toluene, semivolatile organic compounds SVOCs, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFAS and dioxin were also detected east of the derailment site but the EPA previously said those compounds “were isolated and not likely derailment-related due to extent and location.”

However, the 2-butoxyethanol — also known ethylene glycol monobutyl ether — is directly related to the rail disaster as over 25,000 gallons of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether was released during the derailment when Car 36 suffered a cracked tank head. The EPA describes 2-butoxyethanol as a colorless liquid with a fruity odor used as a solvent by the paint industry. Exposure to the chemical can cause irritation of the nose and eyes, headache, a metallic taste in the mouth and vomiting.

Also, Norfolk Southern reported that air monitoring continues in areas of active operations. As site activities continue to diminish the associated air monitoring will also be reduced accordingly. Taggart Street remains open to traffic and the community should anticipate periodic site-related equipment and vehicles on the road.

To date, nearly 75 million gallons of contaminated water and 240,000 tons of contaminated soil have been removed from the village.

selverd@mojonews.com