Pollution from Norfolk Southern More Widespread Than Initial Estimation

Using 2 weeks of precipitation data collected by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program from 65 rural sites across the Midwest, northeast and mid Atlantic regions, the authors of a recent study comparing the precipitation chemistry of samples gathered the week of the derailment (n = 56) and the week after the derailment (n = 51) to historic trends in precipitation chemistry (n = 8,720) found historically high precipitation pH levels in Northeast and Midwest states for wintertime the week of the derailment and historically high chloride concentrations in the New England states as well as Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin the week of the accident and the similar extreme chloride concentrations in the mid Atlantic states the week after the accident. The authors estimate that ‘19 sites had at least one chemical compound in the 99th percentile, while 8 sites had 4 or more compounds in the 99th percentile’ including sulfates and nitrates. The pollution from the blaze impacted at least 16 states and portions of southern Canada. It is important to remember that the governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania made the vent and burn decision in consultation with the EPA and the EPA was part of the unified command that included their Ohio counterpart, the Ohio National Guard and the DOD that carried out that decision.