The city of Steubenville said the chemical of butyl acrylate tested positive in their water intake, which was the same chemical that positively tested to be outside of the containment area in the Ohio River.
Steubenville says they have worked with with ORSANCO (Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission) and Ohio EPA SEDO to receive and relay any information regarding this chemical spill incident. The following is a timeline of the event and actions of these authorities;
⦁ February 3, 2023- Trail Derailed Chemicals escaped containment initially
⦁ February 6, 2023- Butyl Acrylate Detected through sampling at Weirton, WV raw river water intake.
⦁ February 7, 2023- Steubenville Water was made aware of test results from Weirton, WV
⦁ February 8, 2023- ORSANCO collected raw river water samples at Steubenville intake (Raw river water is untreated river water).
⦁ February 9, 2023- Received results from raw river water samples tested on 2/8/2023 as Butyl Acrylate as being present in the raw river water. ORSANCO collected additional samples to be sent to the City of Cincinnati for analysis.
⦁ February l 0, 2023- @ 5: l 5pm results were received from analysis from the City of Cincinnati that l .23ppb (part per billion) was present in the raw river water at the Steubenville raw river water intakes.
⦁ February 11, 2023- Steubenville Water Department received Jar Test results from the City of Cincinnati in regards to the removal of butyl acrylate using PAC (powder activated carbon). This test used the concentration of 50 ppb of butyl acrylate and was reduced by two different types of PAC at three different dosing concentrations of 25, 50, and l 00 lbs./million gallons with a 30-minute contact time. In short the test results indicated that with a 50 ppb concentration of butyl acrylate it would take l75lbs/MG of carbon to remove this chemical. This equates to our level of 1.23 ppb or 2 ppb we would need to feed 35 lbs.Iday of PAC (powder activated carbon) to remove the chemical from the raw river water. The City of Steubenville Water Department currently feeds 100 lbs.Iday of PAC. We are feeding 3 times the recommended dose to remove butyl acrylate from our raw river water. Also the City of Cincinnati has shown tlu-ough testing that l mg/I(milligram per liter) of Chlorine would oxidizes 50 ppb of butyl acrylate for the raw river water. The Steubenville Water Department feeds a chlorine dose of 2 mg/I of chlorine so in the event of the PAC not removing all of the butyl acrylate chemical present the chlorine dose would remove it.
The city says ORSANCO and Ohio EPA with the assistance of the City of Cincinnati assures that Steubenville is is removing the butyl acrylate from the raw river water as the water receives treatment therefore not making it to the finished treated water that is going to the distribution system and residents.
The chemicals that escaped into the environment from the train derailment travel the path of Sulphur run stream and Leslie Run Stream which both empty to Little Beaver Creek.
Little Beaver Creek empties to the Ohio River at ORM (Ohio River Mile) marker 39.6 also known as Lock 57 Park. At this location test results indicated a concentration of 12.5 ppb of butyl acrylate, according to the city but once the creek joins the Ohio River which a large body of water those concentrations are diluted naturally. The City of Steubenville Water Department says intakes are located at ORM 65.3 which is 25.7 river miles from Little Beaver Creek joining the Ohio River which is why the concentration at Steubenville Water intakes is a lesser concentration.
Steubenville says the chemical butyl acrylate in regards to a MCL (Maximum Containment Level) as well as a MRL (Minimal Risk Level) has found there is no listed MCL but there is a MRL listing for butyl acrylate.
MRL is an estimate of the amount of a chemical a person can eat, drink, or breathe each day without detectable risk to health. The MRL for butyl acrylate is 560 ppb. A print out from ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) is attached to this letter.
