A man takes photos as a black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Indiana testing of E. Palestine soil finds every dioxin and furan analyzed for — 10 varieties

By Eric F.Coppolino | Mar 9, 2023

Analysis of contaminated soil originating from East Palestine by the State of Indiana has confirmed the presence of every dioxin and dibenzofuran the lab looked for. This includes tetrachlorinated dioxins (TCDD) and furans (TCDF), the most toxic chemicals known to medical science.

See the results here.

The contaminated soil from the Feb. 3 train derailment was transported to Indiana for disposal in a hazardous waste facility.

Dioxins and furans are not only carcinogens and cancer promoters; they are also endocrine disruptors, they can cause birth defects, sterility, and endometriosis, and have been demonstrated to cause genetic damage for at least three generations.

The analysis found a total of five different dioxins and five different dibenzofurans — getting hits on every variety the lab analyzed for using a standard EPA protocol. Based on the results, the soil qualified “safe” — for deposit in a hazardous waste landfill — without being burned to bring the levels down.

Screen shot from Heritage Environmental Services, destination of contaminated soil created by the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, OH.

‘It’s just sickening, and it keeps happening’

According to a March 8 memo prepared by the state’s Department of Environmental Management, the soil is acceptable for disposal at the Heritage Waste Landfill, a dump site for hazardous waste. The analysis was done at Pace Labs in Minneapolis.

The location from which the soil was removed was not revealed in the state’s news release or the memo with the results. There has still been no reported testing of soot taken from the point source, nor have there been any known wipe samples taken from nearby rooftops.

Further, the results did not include any of the 50 chemicals the EPA says were released which were listed on the train’s manifest. Dioxins and furans are combustion byproducts of fires involving clorinated chemicals.

In a statement, Gov. Eric Holcomb said that, “The material tested does not contain any harmful levels of dioxins when compared to acceptable levels established by the EPA.”

Gov. Eric Holcomb spoke at the World Economic Forum’s Davos convention in May 2022.

“It’s just so sickening, and it keeps happening again and again, all to save money, or make money,” said Carol van Strum, a historian of dioxin who has lived through her own toxic event in the Five Rivers area of Oregon.

“There is no safe level, and allow exposure to any level is premediated murder. There is just no other way to put it. The EPA knows this from their analysis of Agent Orange involving Dow Chemical, and many other ways many times over,” van Strum said Thursday, commenting o the results.

The Federal Government’s ‘Acceptable Risk’ Game

We are now into the issue of “acceptable risk” that has been at the crux of the dioxin issue for its entire history. The question is, who determines what is an “acceptable” level of poisoning — and acceptable to whom?

The people being exposed to the toxins have not said that they accept the risks involved.

Note that “acceptable” to the government does not mean safe for the people facing longterm exposure. EPA in its own documents admits that there is no level shown to have no effect on people and animals who are exposed.

Neither the contamination nor the risks of exposure are equally distributed. Some people are much more sensitive, and some areas will have contamination hot spots.

Photos from the interior of the home of Zsuzsa Gyenes, showing bobbling paint and chemical residue. She lived one mile from the derailment.

And on the Ground in East Palestine

Zsuzsa Gyenes, an East Palestine resident and Planet Waves FM correspondent, posted photos to her Facebook page showing how paint had bubbled in her home about one mile from the derailment. Her home is also dusted with chemical residue.

She said she felt severe symptoms within minutes of being in town.

Gyenes wrote:

“I’m still living in a hotel. I just went into my house in East Palestine today. Over a MONTH later it still REEKS with the most sickening chemical smell I’ve ever experienced. It’s almost getting worse. I can’t live there again so I invite anyone who doesn’t believe me to come in and see what you think.

Also, my house is older but the paint on the door has never had bubbles on it like it does now. AND this definitely looks like some kind of muddy/dusty residue that’s getting worse outside on the porch. My teeth feel like they’re gonna fall out, I might puke, and my chest, throat, and eyes hurt. I’ve only been in town for roughly 15 mins.”

This is a developing story.

— Additional research by Cindy Tice Ragusa