During the press conference Wednesday, Federal, state and local officials started off the meeting by thanking the Senator Sherrod Brown and JD Vance for announcing a bi-partisan train rail safety legislation bill Wednesday morning.

Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose announced a nationwide focused on train routes that carry highly flammable or hazardous materials. The newly mandated inspections will be a combination of multifaceted inspection and technology combination in inspect the quality of the rail tracks, rail signals, tank cars and other aspects including hazardous tanker cars. The program will start in East Palestine and will expand throughout the country. No timetable was given for the expansion of the plan.

On Tuesday, FEA issued a safety advisory on hot bearing wayside detectors, after US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called called on class 1 railroads to join FRA's "close call reporting' system.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore stated that her department had completed 585 home re-entry screenings and continues air quality monitoring at 16 stations with East Palestine. Shore said that none of homes tested exceeded safe levels of air quality standards.

CDC/ATSDR Team Lead Jill Shugart said the her team would be going door-to-door beginning Thursday, offering residents in certain areas to fill out a survey assessment of chemical exposure.

FEMA Region 5 Regional Administrator Thomas C. Sivak said his teams were in the community handing out flyers on information for air, water, soil sampling. He said anyone needing additional information should call 866-361-0526.

In his fourth visit since the derailment, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he is impressed with the work being done in the village, and with its resiliency. Joining DeWine was his wife Fran, and the governor said the goals for the state, including Norfolk Southern accountable for the disaster, focus on the safety of the people, including testing of the air, water and ground. DeWine said the officials will continue report results as they come in.

The Ohio EPA is reporting that approximately 1.8 million gallons of liquid wastewater have been hauled out of East Palestine so far.

  • Approximately 150,000 gallons have been shipped to Vickery Environmental in Vickery, Ohio, to be disposed of through deep well injection.
  • Approximately 1.4 million gallons have been shipped to Texas Molecular in Deer Park, Texas, to be disposed of through deep well injection.
  • Approximately 300,000 gallons have been hauled to Detroit Industrial Well in Romulus, Michigan to be disposed of through deep well injection.

The Ohio EPA said that approximately 700 tons of solid waste have also left the derailment site going to:

  • Ross Incineration Services in Grafton, Ohio, has received approximately 40 tons to be incinerated.
  • Approximately 200 tons have been hauled to Heritage Thermal Services in East Liverpool, Ohio, to be incinerated.
  • Approximately 400 tons have been shipped t o U.S. Ecology Wayne Disposal in Belleville, Michigan, to be placed in a landfill.