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Environment

Visiting East Palestine 1 year later

12 months after a freight train derailed and dumped toxic chemicals in an Ohio town, locals worry about lingering pollutants and adverse health effects

by Priyanka Runwal
February 26, 2024 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 102, Issue 6
A woman stands in a kitchen looking off to the right.


Credit: Justin Merriman | Krissy Hylton hasn’t returned to her home in East Palestine, Ohio, since early last February. She fears that her house may be contaminated and that her family may be exposed to health risks if they go back.

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On Feb. 3, 2023, a 149–car Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Thirty-eight cars veered off the tracks; 11 were carrying hazardous chemicals that fueled a large fire.

Credit: Associated Press/Gene J. Puskar

As part of the cleanup, workers installed booms and underflow dams in the creeks to restrict contaminated water and collect floating debris.

Credit: Associated Press/Gene J. Puskar

Under supervision from the US Environmental Protection Agency, Norfolk Southern has been cleaning up the wreckage and contamination along the derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio.

Credit: Justin Merriman

With oversight from the US Environmental Protection Agency, Norfolk Southern set up aerators to clean contaminated creeks. The process removes dissolved volatile organic compounds by allowing them to volatilize and escape into the air.

Credit: Justin Merriman

Stationary gas detectors operated 24/7 in East Palestine, Ohio, to monitor the outdoor air for 79 chemicals, including volatile organic compounds such as vinyl chloride.

Credit: Justin Merriman

Two creeks in East Palestine, Ohio—Sulphur Run and Leslie Run—were contaminated with chemicals and lube oil that spilled from the derailed train. The creeks continue to be tested as cleanup efforts carry on.

Credit: Justin Merriman

Norfolk Southern is backfilling new stone and gravel in areas where the contaminated soil was excavated. With oversight from the US Environmental Protection Agency, the company is testing this backfill to ensure that the new soil does not contain volatile organic compounds from the derailment.

Credit: Justin Merriman

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