EPA Contradicts Itself AGAIN on East Palestine Air Contamination 5 Months After Toxic Detonation of Vinyl Chloride

“EPA disagrees that the voluntary indoor air screening was inadequate,” a spokesperson tells SC—months after an EPA official admitted testing equipment wasn't capable of measuring all contamination

Nearly six months after the Norfolk Southern train derailment and detonation of five rail cars carrying carcinogenic vinyl chloride over East Palestine—and weeks after an explosive NTSB hearing revealed the vinyl chloride manufacturer had repeatedly advised Norfolk Southern there was no emergency requiring the detonation of the vinyl chloride cars—Status Coup can report that the EPA is contradicting itself once again on whether residents’ air quality is safe.

After the EPA originally declared that the “air quality in the town is safe” days after the derailment—and the agency doubled down on that message for weeks—Status Coup broke news in March that Mark Durno, the EPA’s on-scene coordinator in East Palestine, admitted that the testing, and equipment, being used to test residents’ air quality, was flawed, admitting that chemicals like Butyl Acrylate can be present at much lower levels that EPA’s Photo Ionization Detectors can’t detect.

“Yes there is a chance that that chemical can be present and we don’t see it,” he said at a March meeting with East Palestine residents. “You need to understand that.”

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But now the EPA is reversing course, telling Status Coup the exact opposite: “EPA disagrees that the voluntary indoor air screening was inadequate,” a spokesperson began in a statement to Status Coup.

The agency added:

“The voluntary indoor air screening program was done to provide confidence that no acute hazards, using action levels provide by public health agencies, were present as the evacuation was being lifted. Through this program, several actions and/or recommendations were made to occupants where elevated results or odors were observed.  These actions/recommendations were provided even if the results or odors were clearly not related to the derailment incident.  The program was conducted in conjunction with a multi-layered outdoor air monitoring and sampling program to ensure that no unacceptable levels of vapors were sustained into residential areas.  EPA and its Unified Command partners are confident that the outdoor air monitoring and sampling program is protective of public health.  EPA does not plan to conduct any further indoor sampling or monitoring unless we’re made aware of unusual circumstances that may warrant additional assessment work.”

In addition to one of their own employees disagreeing with the EPA, several other experts have weighed in on the topic. Dr. Andrew Whelton, an engineer, and professor at Purdue University, has been vocal about indoor air testing, stating as recently as June 23rd that “USEPA has no credible indoor air testing evidence. None.”

Whelton has been trying for months to encourage the EPA to course-correct their response, but now is calling on intervention from Ohio’s federal delegation in an open letter. In it, Whelton said “evidence shows that this disaster has repeatedly exceeded the scientific and organizational capability of the USEPA and other agencies involved.”

In addition to Dr. Whelton, Status Coup has spoken to several others, including industrial gases expert Aaron Bragg,  environmental investigator and water expert Bob Bowcock, a former EPA official with decades on the job, as well as a Ph.D. chemist and toxicologist. All of these individuals agree that the air testing done by the EPA in East Palestine is flawed and not capable of accurately measuring the true levels of air contamination following the chemical shower that rained over East Palestine.

This flawed testing led to residents being told it was safe to return home, when in fact that was likely not the case (Read our prior reporting for the specifics).

“To me it’s unconscionable,” Jack Manning, a Beaver County Pennsylvania Commissioner, said at a hearing over the Norfolk Southern train derailment in February. Maning, who spent 35 years in the petrochemical industry, said “there’s no way I’m gonna have trains moving through a contaminated site that quickly without remediation.”

Despite the EPA’s all clear, residents Status Coup has repeatedly spoken to and interviewed have expressed an alarming mix of health problems including:

• Dizziness

• Nausea

• Bloody noses

• Headaches

• Sore throat

• Chest pains

• Burning eyes

• Nose burning

• Numb lips and tongue

• Diarrhea

• Fatigue

• Rashes

• Sinus infections

• Numbness in back of neck

• Chloracne

• Chemical taste in mouth

• Irregular menstrual cycles in women

• Forgetfulness

• Confusion

• Increased anxiety

Missing Pathways to Exposure

One example of a potential pathway to exposure for residents, that was seemingly missed by the EPA in the early days of this disaster, was admitted in a private meeting with two residents this week— and then softly confirmed by the EPA to Status Coup.

That pathway lies in the basement of homes along Sulphur Run, the highly contaminated creek that runs through the center of town.

Residents were concerned about this as far back as February. During the springtime, or with heavy rains, it isn’t uncommon that higher water levels from the creek to flood nearby basements. Status Coup has spoken with three residents over the last several months who have had this occur in the past, including Jami Wallace, Krissy Ferguson, and Geordan Tomor. Wallace even pointed this out to a CTEH, a controversial testing company contracted by Norfolk Southern to conduct air testing in East Palestine, who agreed that it was a concern. Based on the fact that the creek runs right down the center of town, this issue is likely not isolated to these three homes.  

In response to questions from Status Coup about basements being a source for chemical contamination, the EPA conceded: “There may have been the potential for exposure [in basements] in certain circumstances, particularly in the early days of the response.”

The agency added that they are “aware that some basements have water issues” and that they’re “aware of one resident who may have had river water and sediment enter into their basement from a drain pipe (that could drain to Sulphur Run) since the derailment incident.”

It is important to note that in the weeks after the derailment, snowmelt was occurring and there were several rain events that caused creeks to overflow on more than one occasion. Whether this water is seeping up through cracks in a basement, or directly in through a drain pipe, it is a potentially dangerous situation considering the creek was highly contaminated with butyl acrylate and other chemicals associated with the derailment and detonation.

This situation was seemingly missed by the EPA at the time, who were continuing to toe Norfolk Southern’s line that the air, water, and soil in East Palestine were not contaminated beyond safe federal guidelines.

Residents Status Coup continues speaking with continue suffering with ongoing health issues, financial woes resulting from having to temporarily relocate from their homes, and an uncertain future as Norfolk Southern and the EPA signal their so-called “cleanup” efforts in East Palestine are nearing their end.

Status Coup will continue investigating and uncovering what the national media COVERS UP. We would like to do MORE ON-THE-GROUND coverage in East Palestine. We don’t rely on corporate money or high-dollar ad placements, we rely on viewer support. You can gain access to exclusive content and help us fund this reporting today by BECOMING A MEMBER for as low as $5 a month.