Ohio Gov. DeWine returns to East Palestine

COLUMBIANA COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine returned to East Palestine Wednesday to meet with various officials cleaning up the toxic Norfolk-Southern train derailment from Feb. 3.

DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine visited the site of the train derailment and get an update on the status of the hazardous waste removal.

Heavy rain in East Palestine on Monday resulted in increased water flow in the contaminated section of Sulphur Run, which remains dammed to the east and west, said DeWine. He added any rainwater that enters the contaminated section of the creek is considered contaminated and vacuumed from the site.

DeWine also visited the area of Sulphur Run and Leslie Run for a briefing on the status of surface water testing and sediment washing.

According to DeWine, water sample results from private water systems of East Palestine area homes continue to show no harmful levels of contaminants.

In total, 126 private water wells in Ohio have been tested, and results have been returned for 30 of those wells, none of which showed evidence of contaminants linked to the train derailment, said DeWine.

DeWine and First Lady DeWine also joined representatives from the Brightside Project to pack boxes of supplies for Brightside’s community-wide crisis relief supply distribution event on Saturday.

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