EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — With the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, leading to concerns of contamination, Giant Eagle grocery stores have opted to remove gallon-sized bottled water products that were produced at a facility approximately 25 miles away in Salineville.
According to a release from Giant Eagle, it has made the decision to remove all gallon-size-or-greater Giant Eagle brand spring water products sourced from the Salineville facility from its store shelves until further notice, out of an abundance of caution.
"As we continue to receive these assurances from our Salineville water vendor, we also recognize that regional and national health officials continue to send resources to East Palestine to learn as much as possible about the potential impact to the health of the community," Giant Eagle said in a statement announcing the decision.
Giant Eagle also said that it has had daily conversations with representatives from the Salineville facility and has learned that the water used in these products comes from a protected spring located at a higher elevation than East Palestine and is not near groundwater sources directly impacted by the incident. The company said that it will evaluate ongoing testing and potential impacts to the spring source before making a decision on when the products will return to its stores' shelves.
Giant Eagle's decision to pull the bottled water from its shelves comes more than two weeks after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, resulting in a controlled release of the chemicals onboard. Testing of the air and the water in the area remains ongoing, with a Health Assessment Clinic for concerned residents opening on Tuesday.