This weekend marks the second anniversary of the Norfolk Southern derailment, chemical spill, and fire, that caused a major evacuation in East Palestine on February 3, 2023.

On Friday, Mayor Trent Conway will hold a noon news conference at the Community Center to make a statement about what the Village has gone through during the recovery process and what’s next.

This week a $22 million agreement was finalized to settle claims sought by the Village against Norfolk Southern Railroad.

Earlier this month outgoing U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore told Village Council that the post-derailment cleanup is substantially complete.

Shore said that nearly 220,000 tons of contaminated soil had been removed, 70,000 gallons of contaminated water had been removed, and 83 homes had been cleaned.

While sediment has been cleaned from Leslie Run and Sulphur Run, Shore said the EPA is requiring Norfolk Southern to complete any additional environmental assessment and cleanups.

Shore did say that the remaining work includes some restoration and excavation in the Village’s East End and continuing monitoring of streams and wells.