Allegations of manipulated soil test results emerge against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the wake of the East Palestine disaster.
In a recent accusation, the Government Accountability Project (GAP) has alleged that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shown negligence and manipulation in its testing and reporting following the 2023 East Palestine train derailment.
The accusations are based on an EPA letter obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, which appears to show that the EPA directed Norfolk Southern to exclude certain chemicals from sampling and to collect baseline soil samples from areas already exposed to chemical contamination. This, GAP argues, undermines the validity of the baseline measurements and the overall assessment of contamination, implying that important chlorinated compounds like dioxins may have been inadequately tested or omitted intentionally to downplay contamination levels.
Whistleblowers cited by GAP also contend that testing avoided the most heavily affected areas and that baseline samples were collected inappropriately, based on likely wind directions near the time of the chemical burn. This flawed sampling potentially compromised the entire soil contamination assessment, including the testing for chlorinated compounds or dioxins.
Lesley Pacey, GAP's senior environmental officer, suggests that the EPA's reasons for not screening for certain chlorinated compounds might include claims they were irrelevant to vinyl chloride, concerns about analytical cost or complexity, and a desire to downplay the extent of the contamination caused by the East Palestine train derailment. Pacey argues that the EPA's decision to not test for these compounds ignores the complex, chaotic chemistry of high-temperature combustion of chlorinated compounds and that some of these compounds can be precursors of dioxins, and their presence could suggest more serious contamination.
She argues that cost savings should never override public health concerns during disasters.
In response to GAP's allegations, an EPA spokesperson said the agency is "very concerned" by the claims that have come to light over the past few months and intends to conduct a thorough review of decisions made in the aftermath of the East Palestine train derailment.
It is important to note that no explicit public EPA denial or confirmation regarding omission of chlorinated compounds testing has been made. The accusations rest primarily on whistleblower claims and the EPA letter obtained by GAP.
The derailed train incident occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023, and the leaked chemicals then burned for more than two days before authorities decided to perform 'controlled burns' of several railcars containing cargoes including vinyl chloride, which the EPA approved.
The five organochlorine compounds not tested for are 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol, 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene, pentachlorobenzene, 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene, and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene.
The chemicals spilled and burned in East Palestine included vinyl chloride.
The Alliance for Chemical Distribution is opposing the merger of Norfolk Southern with larger rival Union Pacific, arguing that prior similar rail mergers have led the chemical distribution industry's customers to pay "increasingly high rates for unreliable and inadequate service".
[1] Government Accountability Project, "EPA Allegedly Manipulated Soil Testing Data after East Palestine Train Derailment," 2023. [2] Environmental Health News, "Whistleblowers: EPA Manipulated Soil Testing After East Palestine Derailment," 2023. [4] The Hill, "EPA Accused of Manipulating Soil Testing Data After East Palestine Derailment," 2023. [5] Inside Climate News, "Whistleblowers Say EPA Manipulated Soil Testing After East Palestine Derailment," 2023.
- The disputes over the East Palestine train derailment have delved into environmental-science, with the Government Accountability Project (GAP) accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of negligence and manipulation.
- The allegations stem from an EPA letter obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, suggesting that certain chemicals were omitted intentionally from sampling and baseline soil samples were collected in areas already exposed to contamination.
- GAP argues that this compromises the validity of the baseline measurements and assessment of contamination, potentially downplaying the presence of important chlorinated compounds like dioxins.
- Lesley Pacey, GAP's senior environmental officer, contends that the EPA's decision not to test for certain chlorinated compounds ignores the complex chemistry of high-temperature combustion and that their presence could suggest more serious contamination.
- In response, the EPA has expressed concern and plans to review decisions made after the derailment, but no explicit denial or confirmation regarding omission of chlorinated compounds testing has been made.
- The incident occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023, and involved chemicals like vinyl chloride, with five organochlorine compounds not tested for being 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol, 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene, pentachlorobenzene, 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene, and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene.
- Meanwhile, the chemical distribution industry is involved in business and finance matters, with the Alliance for Chemical Distribution opposing the merger of Norfolk Southern with Union Pacific, citing higher rates and unreliable service as concerns.
- The events in East Palestine have been covered in general-news, crime-and-justice, and policy-and-legislation reports, including by Environmental Health News, The Hill, Inside Climate News, and others.
