EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — (WPXI) – An interim report from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says there’s no evidence of contamination in western Pennsylvania related to the East Palestine train derailment. A Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous material derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3, 2023. A few days later, a massive explosion during a controlled release of the chemicals inside the train sent heavy black smoke pluming into the air over the small town. The DEP said it and its independent contractor conducted a year of sampling and found no evidence of water or soil contamination related to the derailment in Pennsylvania’s private water wells, surface water and soil. DEP’s contractor also conducted, and continues to conduct, sampling at three sentinel monitoring wells installed in Pennsylvania by Norfolk Southern near the train derailment location. The DEP said groundwater in this area has not been impacted by contamination from the derailment. Samples have been taken at 85 individual private potable water sources, 97 surface soil locations and 18 surface water locations within the commonwealth, totaling hundreds of samples, the DEP said.