EAST PALESTINE, Ohio - Norfolk Southern reports that it has finished physical restoration activities at the site of the 2023 train derailment. The railroad company reported that it has removed equipment and temporary work trailers from the village.

While the primary cleanup operations have concluded, residents may still see crews on-site infrequently performing maintenance. The company stated that monitoring surface water, groundwater, and drinking water will continue according to schedules defined in established work plans.

Norfolk Southern also submitted a final assessment report regarding Sulphur Run and Leslie Run to the Environmental Protection Agency for approval. This document outlines completed cleanup efforts and results from recent sediment sampling. The report notes that crews did not observe any oily sheens related to the derailment on either stream during the final inspection.

This announcement follows a year of extensive remediation efforts in the waterways. In May, officials focused cleanup operations on removing contaminated sediment from the streams that wind through residential and commercial areas of the village.

The EPA must review and approve the final report to verify that the work plan goals have been met.