January 13, 2026
Government Accountability Project Uncovers EPA-Backed Chemical Suppression in East Palestine Response Plan
WASHINGTON—Today, Government Accountability Project released new findings exposing how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Norfolk Southern, and multiple local and state agencies knowingly approved the open-air use of Acronal, a styrene-acrylate industrial polymer, during the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment response. Designed for indoor, industrial settings—not environmental disasters—an unspecified version of Acronal was sprayed on an ongoing basis on contaminated soil, derailment excavation materials, and stockpiles to suppress vapors of butyl acrylate, a respiratory and dermal hazard released during the vinyl chloride detonation.
Rather than neutralizing contamination, Acronal traps vapors beneath a polymer film, temporarily masking odors and lowering Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) readings—a move that undermined public transparency, distorted monitoring results, and helped avoid triggering worker protections and public health warnings.
The unconventional use of Acronal was buried in the Health and Safety Plan (HASP) co-authored by EPA and Norfolk Southern's contractor, CTEH, and was formally approved by multiple government and emergency agencies including the Ohio EPA, EPA Regions 3 and 5, East Palestine Fire Department, and the Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency. This critical document, flagged by an anonymous whistleblower, was quietly posted online with no public notice and lays out a response framework designed to minimize chemical detection and suppress public concern, not protect health. It was recently withheld from a Freedom of Information Act request by Government Accountability Project.
"This was not an environmental clean-up, it was a containment of information," said Lesley Pacey, Senior Environmental Officer at Government Accountability Project. "They used an industrial coating designed for waterproofing to chemically suppress the very contaminants the public had a right to know about. Acronal doesn't clean up pollution—it hides it."
Further undermining the credibility of the response, it has already come to light that both EPA and CTEH internally acknowledged the primary air monitoring tools they relied on—photoionization detectors —were not capable of reliably detecting butyl acrylate at levels relevant to human health. Still, these flawed instruments were used to assess air safety, justify low protective measures, and assure the public, even as more accurate tools were withheld.
Taken together, the deployment of Acronal to suppress chemical odors and detections, the reliance on ineffective monitoring, and the uniform sign-off by public agencies point to negligence and agencies focused not on environmental health, but on controlling public perception and legal exposure.
This new information is one part of EPA and Norfolk Southern's negligent attempts to hide the risks in East Palestine in the wake of the 2023 train derailment. Government Accountability Project is continuing to advocate and raise awareness of the remediation efforts still needed for the health and safety of this small town.
Contact: [email protected]
Government Accountability Project
Founded in 1977, Government Accountability Project is the leading international whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, Government Accountability Project's mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government, corporate, and international organization accountability. Government Accountability Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.
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