LISBON — Private well testing related to the East Palestine train derailment will expand soon to all of Columbiana County, giving well users outside of the established priority zones a chance to have their water tested for free.

During a press conference Tuesday at the Columbiana County Port Authority headquarters in Lisbon, officials from the CCPA, Columbiana County Health District and Tetra Tech Inc. announced the program will launch in the coming weeks, with details about the application process to be announced soon.

“It’s just a great opportunity for people who have concerns about their water to put their mind at ease,” county Health District Environmental Director and Public Information Officer Laura Fauss said.

In early 2024, the health district learned that $2 million was pledged from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to do additional well testing outside of the priority zones, then joined in a partnership with the CCPA to work together on the program, with the CCPA handling the administration of the grant and the health district conducting the sampling work.

Under the contract, the CCPA will receive up to 7 percent of the awarded grant amount for administrative services, with 3 percent of the awarded grant amount going to the health district as compensation for work performed.

CCPA Project Coordinator Haedan Panezott explained that the money is coming from a 100 percent cost share grant from the U.S. EPA 2024 consolidated appropriations act with no local match required. The CCPA applied for the grant, which was officially awarded on May 22 this year and will continue through 2031. The CCPA will present annual project reports to the EPA.

“This award demonstrates the importance of collaboration between local, state and federal partners,” he said.

Fauss said the program will test up to 100 wells per year in the county, with the exception being anyone located in the priority zone since that testing is covered under different funding.

Since the 2023 East Palestine train disaster, the health district has collected and analyzed 1,881 private water samples in the priority zones, with maps showing the locations of the property zones on the health district website at www.columbiana-health.org, along with results of the water testing.

Those priority zones include the area near the crash site, the village, a strip following Leslie Run to Negley and another strip of Leslie Run that goes to the Ohio River.

The new expanded program will test for the same 29 chemicals of concern that they’ve been testing for in the priority zones around East Palestine, with some of those chemicals including benzene, vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate and butoxyethenal. Some of the 1,800 tests were retests of wells.

“We haven’t found anything related to the train derailment in those samples,” Fauss said.

The opening of the first application period will launch in the coming weeks and applications will continue to open annually throughout the program cycle.

CCPA Executive Director Brittany R. Smith kicked off the press conference, offering thanks on behalf of the port authority and health district to “state and federal partners for their continued support and funding, and extended special recognition to Vice President J.D. Vance, Congressman Michael Rulli, Sen. Jon Husted, state Rep. Monica Robb-Blasdel as well as former Sen. Sherrod Brown and Congressman Bill Johnson, who were instrumental in securing program funding. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Columbiana County Commissioners, Mike Halleck, Tim Ginter and Roy Paparodis along with the Port Authority Board of Directors who have supported this program and partnership.”

The CCPA contracted with Tetra Tech Inc. to lead community education and outreach services which will include public meetings, educational materials, social media updates and ongoing resident engagement. Tetra Tech Inc. Project Manager Wes Williams said Tetra Tech is excited to be supporting the port authority and health district and their efforts to provide safe water for the residents of Columbiana County.

He said they’ll keep the community informed and hold public meetings for county residents to ask questions and get updated information about the expanded well testing program.

Fauss said she’s excited about the partnership with Tetra Tech.

The port authority board members on Monday authorized the CCPA to contract with Alliance Technical Group LLC to conduct the laboratory testing of the samples collected by the health district personnel throughout the project’s life cycle. According to the paperwork, the contract cost from Oct. 1 this year to Dec. 31, 2031 will be $329,000.

Fauss said they had to tell a lot of people no who wanted their water tested but didn’t live in the priority zones. Now they’ll be able to help those people.

According to a press release regarding the press conference, a sampling map, application instructions, and educational opportunities will be released as the program advances.

For information, visit https://www.columbiana-health.org.

mgreier@mojonews.com