EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (WKBN) – Those involved in the effort to clean up creeks and other waterways in and around East Palestine say their work will continue, potentially for decades to come.
Gov. Mike DeWine got a first-hand look at the efforts underway along Leslie Run Creek in East Palestine Park on Wednesday morning.
In addition to removing contamination from the water and the creek bed underneath, the village’s Water Treatment Director Scott Wolfe told him there are what are called “sentinel wells” that have been installed away from the immediate area to monitor for groundwater pollution.
“Other areas where there have been hazardous spills, where they’ve sampled these sentinel wells for 30 years, it takes groundwater a long time to move, and in this area, we would be moving upstream to get to our water wellfield,” Wolfe said.
The state’s EPA director says the wells have been installed to detect possible pollutants well before they may be able to reach the village’s drinking water wells.
According to data released by the Ohio EPA on Wednesday, approximately 1.8 million gallons of liquid wastewater have been hauled out of East Palestine to be disposed of via deep well injections:
- Approximately 150,000 gallons shipped to Vickery Environmental in Vickery, Ohio
- Approximately 1.4 million gallons shipped to Texas Molecular in Deer Park, Texas
- Approximately 300,000 gallons shipped to Detroit Industrial Well in Romulus, Michigan
The Ohio EPA also reports approximately 700 tons of solid waste have left the derailment site:
- About 40 tons to be incinerated at Ross Incineration Services in Grafton, Ohio
- About 200 tons to be incinerated at Heritage Thermal Services in East Liverpool, Ohio
- About 400 tons to be placed in a landfill at U.S. Ecology Wayne Disposal in Belleville, Michigan
The U.S. EPA also announced Wednesday that it has conducted 578 home re-entry screenings to date.
