Environmental groups push for EPA — not Norfolk Southern — to lead testing for dioxins

• By Doug Shugarts/WESA

More than 100 environmental groups in Pennsylvania, Ohio and other states are asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to lead the testing for dioxins at the site of the Norfolk Southern train derailment, in East Palestine.

In a letter dated yesterday, the Breathe Project, Penn Future, and other groups urged the EPA to publicize a plan for testing, including specifying the locations of the tests and the types of samples to be collected.

The agency announced earlier this month it would require Norfolk Southern to conduct the tests.

But the groups who signed the Monday letter say the EPA itself should conduct testing or hire its own consultants: “To ensure this testing is adequately conducted, and to rebuild public trust, we strongly recommend the U.S. EPA itself conduct the dioxin sampling or hire its own consultants to conduct the testing. Norfolk Southern should not be in charge of the dioxin sampling. This testing must be paid for by the responsible parties, not taxpayers.”

The signatories also challenged an agency statement that monitoring for so-called “indicator chemicals” suggested a low probability of the release of dioxins from the incident.

State lawmakers are holding a public meeting in Beaver County today on the impact of the February 3rd derailment.