LISBON — An educational session regarding the Expanded Potable Water Sampling Program for properties outside the priority zones around East Palestine will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. March 4 at the Best Western Dutch Haus Inn, state Route 14, Columbiana.

Columbiana County Health District Environmental Director Laura Fauss announced the date of the first educational session through Tetra Tech, Inc. during the recent health district board meeting. She said the session will cover the sampling program and provide education and information about groundwater with a Q&A at the end.

As part of the Expanded Potable Water Sampling Program, up to 100 private water wells will be sampled each year through 2031.The program started late in 2025 and is specifically for water wells inside the county but outside the priority zones which include a 1-mile radius near the derailment crash site, the village of East Palestine itself, a strip following Leslie Run to Negley and another strip of Leslie Run that goes to the Ohio River.

The Columbiana County Port Authority, which is administering the grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency paying for the program, contracted with Tetra Tech, Inc. to lead community education and outreach services which will include public meetings, educational materials, social media updates and ongoing resident engagement.