EPA and Norfolk Southern Accused of Manipulating East Palestine Soil Data

Allegations of Data Manipulation

• 💡 A whistleblower group has obtained documents suggesting the EPA collaborated with Norfolk Southern to manipulate soil testing data following the East Palestine train derailment.
• 🎯 The EPA allegedly used baseline soil samples from heavily affected areas, which experts say could skew results and make contamination appear less severe.

Whistleblower Claims

• 🔍 A whistleblower told NewsNation that they believe the EPA purposely skewed data to make the situation look less dire.
• ⚠️ Two scenarios are presented for the alleged improper testing: incompetence or intentional manipulation.

Use of Norfolk Southern's Data

• 📊 It is reported that the EPA used data from Norfolk Southern's contractor and presented it as their own.
• 🚫 The EPA reportedly instructed Norfolk Southern not to test for five specific compounds.

Expert Analysis on Testing Areas

• 🔬 Independent testing expert Scott Smith suggests Norfolk Southern was allowed to handpick testing data.
• ⚠️ Experts like Steven Petty state that testing for dioxins was not conducted in the correct areas, questioning the accuracy of the results.
• 💨 A key criticism is the failure to account for wind direction on the day of the open burn, which could have influenced the decision-making process.

Lack of Response

• 🚫 The EPA has not responded to the allegations.
• 🤐 Norfolk Southern has stated they will not comment further on the matter.
• ❓ Experts believe the EPA and Norfolk Southern did not do everything possible to determine the truth about exposure levels.