Frustrated Ohio residents seek answers to train derailment question

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio. Residents of an Ohio village derailed by a freight train gathered Wednesday at a school gym to find out if they were safe from toxic chemicals that were spilled or burned.

Hundreds of anxious people gathered to hear government officials tell them – as they did earlier that day – that the tests showed that the local air was safe to breathe, and promised that air and water testing for safety would continue.

But residents had unresolved questions about the health hazards and demanded more transparency from the railroad operator.

Rail operator Norfolk Southern did not join what was billed as an open-door meeting with local, state and federal officials, out of concern for the safety of its employees. The railroad said in a statement that the event created a “growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community.”

The meeting came amid ongoing concerns about huge plumes of smoke, persistent odors, questions about potential threats to pets and wildlife, any potential impact on drinking water, and what’s going on with the treatment.

Even when school resumed and the trains started running again, people were worried.

“Why are they silent?” Kathy Dyke said about the railroad. “They don’t support here, they don’t answer questions. For three days we didn’t even know what was on the train. “

“I have three grandchildren,” she said. “Are they going to grow up here in five years and get cancer? So those are all factors that are at play in my mind.”

In and around Eastern Palestine, close to the Pennsylvania state line, residents have said they need help with the financial assistance the railroad has offered to hundreds of evacuated families and want to know if it will be held responsible for what happened.

On Wednesday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost told Norfolk Southern that his office is considering legal action against the rail operator.

“The pollution that continues to contaminate the area around East Palestine has created inconvenience, damaged natural resources and damaged the environment,” Yost said in a letter to the company.

The state’s EPA said on Wednesday that the latest tests show water from five wells supplying the village with drinking water is free of contaminants. But the EPA also recommends testing private wells because they are closer to the surface.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimated that the spill affected more than seven miles (11.2 km) of streams and killed about 3,500 fish, mostly small fish such as minnows and darts.

There have been no confirmed deaths of other wildlife, including livestock, according to government officials.

Norfolk Southern announced Tuesday that it is creating a $1 million fund to help a community of about 4,700 people while continuing restoration work, including removing spilled pollutants from land and streams and monitoring air quality.

It will also increase the number of residents who can be reimbursed for evacuation costs, covering the entire village and surrounding area.

“We will be judged by our actions,” said Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw. determine what is necessary for the reconstruction and prosperity of Eastern Palestine.”

No one was hurt when about 50 cars derailed in a fiery, mangled mess on the outskirts of eastern Palestine on February 3. As fears of a possible explosion grew, officials seeking to avoid an uncontrolled explosion evacuated the area and decided to vacate it. burn the toxic vinyl chloride from five railroad cars, sending flames and black smoke into the sky again.

The cause of the derailment is believed to have been a mechanical problem with the railroad car’s axle, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it had a video showing a wheel bearing overheating just before the trip. The NTSB said they expect their preliminary report in about two weeks.

Misinformation and exaggeration are circulating online, with state and federal officials repeatedly reassuring that air monitoring has not revealed any remaining problems. Ohio’s director of public health said Tuesday that even low levels of pollutants that are not considered dangerous can cause persistent odor or symptoms such as headaches.

Precautions are also taken to ensure that contaminants that have entered the Ohio River do not end up in drinking water.