Officials Release Update on Wildlife Killed by Ohio Train Derailment

Ron Fodo, Ohio EPA Emergency Response, looks for signs of fish and also agitates the water in Leslie Run creek to check for chemicals that have settled at the bottom following a train derailment that is causing environmental concerns in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 20, 2023. Michael Swensen/Getty Images

The number of wildlife estimated to have been killed in the wake of the Ohio train derailment is nearly 44,000, less than officials first thought, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

Although dead animals remain in the affected waterways, ODNR Director Mary Mertz noted in an update (archived) Thursday that live fish have returned to some parts of the area.