East Palestine Ohio train derailment Surprise! Hanky Panky by US EPA and Norfolk Southern: took “baseline” samples that were not baseline and avoided testing areas with known dioxin contamination. Like what regulators and polluting companies in Canada do too. Guilty corporations like Encana/Ovintiv must not be allowed to investigate themselves, sample scenes of and cover-up their crimes.

EPA, Norfolk Southern manipulated East Palestine soil testing data, report says by Jessica Riley, July 17, 2025, CBS NewsGood news clip at link

A new report alleges that soil samples following the 2023 fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio were manipulated by the EPA and Norfolk Southern. 

The whistleblower group Government Accountability Project uncovered a letter they say allegedly proves negligence in testing for contaminated soil at the site of the crash. 

According to the document, Norfolk Southern’s contractor published a plan, but the Environmental Protection Agency then updated that plan the next day, directing that additional samples be taken in more heavily impacted locations.

This letter goes hand in hand with two other whistleblowers whose claims say that environmental testing wasn’t conducted properly.

According to the whistleblowers, the key flaw was that baseline samples were inappropriately collected based on likely wind directions near the time of the burn of chemicals like vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate. They say this compromised the entire sampling plan. 

Those whistleblowers also believe that officials who tested intentionally avoided testing in areas to show dioxin contamination. 

East Palestine and Norfolk Southern previously agreed to a $22 million settlement earlier this year. It’s unknown if anything will come from the alleged claims of wrong soil sampling. 

Refer also to:

2023: East Palestine Ohio toxic train derailment: Chickens, fish, pets, livestock dying; fallout over much of Ontario and Quebec. Norfolk Southern Railway Co, market value $55 Billion (rejected safety measures), offers residents $5 each for ordered evacuation (or face death) to flee toxic fumes. For the stingy $5, will residents have to sign NDAs (gags) and forfeit their right to sue?

2023: Rob Rogers cartoon, Team Trump-GOP-Norfolk Southern’s vast Poisoning for Profit Project, East Palestine Ohio, PA, NY, Ontario, Quebec and more: “I love the smell of deregulation in the morning.”

2024: Norfolk Southern Railroad East Palestine Ohio train derailment “apocalyptic fire” released “8,580,000 pounds of highly hazardous materials” into the air affecting over 126,000 square miles in eight states and additionally thousands of square miles in southern Canada. Dr. George R. Thompson to PA’s AG: It “may become the worst chemical medical disaster in history.”

2025: FFS! Another dirty industry-owned judge? Orders poisoned East Palestine Ohio residents to pay $850,000 to appeal Norfolk Southern’s insufficient settlement and attorneys’ refusal to disclose contamination details discovered by the testing expert (gagged as part of the settlement). FFSx3!