Officials provide updates on controlled release of chemicals in East Palestine
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio - Officials provided more updates on the success of the controlled release of chemicals in East Palestine.
Norfolk Southern declared the detonation a success but plans to continue to monitor the area and train cars.
"We were able to control the release where we wouldn't have been if we didn't take this action when we're letting them burn," said Scott Deutsch, Hazardous Material Manager with Norfolk Southern. "They're consuming the product. If they're burning and you visibly see that, they're not bubuildingressure because it's venting it off the detonation. It went perfectly. We're already to the point where cars became safe. They were not safe prior to this."
According to the Ohio EPA, there has been no negative impact on the waterway system, but they are continuing to monitor the situation.
"We have some slightly elevated readings of the phosgene and the hydrogen chloride right at the burn location and only one minor hit for the hydrogen chloride downwind of the burn area but still within that exclusion zone," said James Justice with the U.S. EPA.
"Throughout the burn, we saw no hits to the waterway," said Kurt Kohler with the Ohio EPA's Office of Emergency Response. "Checking during and post-explosion, this has confirmed that. It was anticipated to be that way and we continue that monitoring program."
The EPA, Ohio EPA, and Norfolk Southern have been conducting air monitoring, and once the area is declared safe, they can begin to wreck the cars. Once safe, contractors will be able to go into the area and begin moving the train cars from the tracks into a safe area.
"We need the fire out and we need the metal in the cars cooled down. Then, we are going to bring in contractors to wreck the cars. We have to rig and chain the cars," Deutch explained. "We just need to wait until that area is safe to enter."
The 1 mile evacuation order is still in place, and there is no current time frame for when East Palestine residents can return to their homes. In order for residents to be able to return, the fire in the release area will need to be completely out, and the metals from the train need to cool enough for wrecking.
There could be another press conference in East Palestine Tuesday if more details arise.
