LISBON Columbiana County officials are scheduled to announce details today of a new, expanded countywide drinking water testing program that builds on the effort that is currently available to those impacted by the East Palestine train derailment.

The Columbiana County Port Authority and Columbiana County Health District are co-hosting a news conference at 11 a.m. at the Port Authority offices. The program, which will utilize grant funding, will expand residential well testing to areas of the county that are not initially prioritized for testing.

According to a news release from the Port Authority, the program is funded by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The funding will support a free, voluntary testing program for private well owners throughout Columbiana County. The program is expected to continue through December 2031.

The new initiative builds on previous testing efforts that were implemented in response to the train derailment near East Palestine in February 2023. A previous private well sampling program focused on homes downstream from the derailment site and chemical spill.

The upcoming program aims to provide testing for residents in a broader area where municipal drinking water is not available. The new program will involve the Columbiana County Port Authority and the Columbiana County Health District, along with an independent contractor.

Speakers at the news conference are expected to include Brittany Smith, assistant executive director of the Port Authority; Haedan Panezott, a private sector specialist with the Port Authority; and Laura Fauss, environmental director for the Health District. A representative from Tetra Tech, a company listed as a partner in the project, is also scheduled to speak.

The original program, called the “East Palestine Derailment Response - Residential Well Sampling Project,” provided the Health District with funds to test 250 residential wells. The initial program was to ensure residential well water was safe for drinking in areas where municipal water was not available.

Leaders from the port authority and health district said this new grant will allow them to sample up to 100 private wells annually through 2031. However, there are some limitations.

"We do have a screening process. So if you have a water well that's not functional, we won't be able to sample it. If you're on city water, we won't be able to sample it," Fauss said.

Applications for the program are not available yet. Officials hope to have them ready in the coming months.