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While officials have repeatedly tried to reassure residents that the water and air are safe in East Palestine, Ohio derailment of a train Concern has spread in the community amid reports of hazardous materials being transported earlier this month rashes, nausea and headache,
The state is now planning to open a health clinic in eastern Palestine on Tuesday for residents with possible symptoms related to the derailment and the Biden administration announced Experts have been hired to help assess what threats remain In the area after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine requested medical teams from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Health.
The train carrying vinyl chloride has been delayed for over two weeks derail In the small community of fewer than 5,000 people, a day-long inferno ignited and prompted crews to detonate the toxic chemical to contain the potentially deadly blaze.
A black cloud of smoke from the explosions spread over the area, where the chemical stench persisted for several days. While it was considered safe for evacuated residents return home on 8 FebruaryCommunity members have questioned how safe their village is and the legality of the air and water tests.
US Sen. Sherrod Brown said that residents “right to doubt,
“We think the water is safe,” Brown told CNN, citing comments made by administrators from state and federal environmental protection agencies. “But when you return to your home, you must be tested again for your water and your soil and your air, not to mention those who have their own wells.”
Air quality tests of more than 530 homes have found no contaminants US Environmental Protection Agency Said Sunday.
As far as water, vinyl chloride has not been detected in any down-gradient waterways near the train derailment, EPA official Tiffany Kavalek told CNN Last week.
And while some waterways in the area were contaminated — killing thousands of fish downstream — officials have said they believe those contaminants should be contained.
After employees discovered contaminated runoff Two surface water streams, Sulfur Run and Leslie Run, Norfolk Southern installed booms and dams to restrict the flow of contaminated water, according to the EPA.
Still, some residents are too afraid to drink from their taps, and the city is distributing bottled water, despite assurances by officials that the water is safe.
Desiree Walker – a 19 year old resident The city that lives just 900 feet from the derailment site – told CNN affiliate WOIO that she forbids her children from drinking the water, fearing that it could have long-term health effects.
“There’s a big concern because they’re young. They’ve got their whole lives ahead of them,” Walker said. “I don’t want it to affect them down the road. I want them to have a long, happy life.”
Walker said his family has been experiencing symptoms, but doctors tell them they don’t know what to test.
“Nighttime especially is when we smell it the most,” she told the station. “Our throat is sore, now we are coughing a lot. My son, his eyes closed.
As anger and frustration bubble up in a small town, Hundreds of East Palestine residents attended a town hall last week to express concern over air and water safety in his community.
Residents reported a variety of issues – including rashes, sore throats, nausea and headaches – and shared concerns that the symptoms could potentially be related to chemicals released after the train derailment.
During the gathering one resident shouted, “Why are people getting sick when there is nothing in the air or water.”
Ayla Antoniazzi and her family returned to their home less than a mile from the crash site the day after the evacuation order was lifted. The mother made sure to ventilate the house and wash all the clothes before bringing her children home.
“But the next day when they woke up, they weren’t themselves,” Antoniazzi said. “My oldest had a rash on her face. The youngest did too but not as bad. A 2 year old girl was holding her eye and complaining that her eye was hurting. She was very lethargic, so I took her to my mother. – Took back to father’s house.”
Officials said Tuesday the Ohio Department of Health clinic is there to help East Palestine recover from the incident. The agency said the clinic would be staffed by registered nurses, mental health specialists and at times toxicologists.
Department Director Dr. Bruce said, “I heard you, the state heard you, and now the Ohio Department of Health and many of our partner agencies are providing this clinic, where people can come and meet with medical providers to We can discuss important issues.” Vanderhoff.
The decision to conduct a controlled explosion at the site of the derailment on February 6 has also fueled doubts and questions about safety.
Officials said the move was to avert an explosion at the derailment site by flushing out the toxin. vinyl chloride gas and burning it in a pit, a move that sent a thick plume of smoke rising over the city.
Vinyl chloride – a man-made substance used to make PVC – can cause dizziness, sleepiness and headaches and has also been linked to an increased risk of cancers in the liver, brain, lungs and blood.
Burning vinyl chloride gas can break down into compounds including hydrogen chloride and phosgene, a chemical weapon used as a chemical weapon during World War I. choking agentAccording to US Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC.
After the explosion, crews checked the air for chemicals of concern, which included phosgene and hydrogen chloride. as well as butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, according to the EPA, and reported that the data was normal.
The work of cleaning the accident site is still going on.
The EPA said Sunday that Norfolk Southern, the train’s operator, “is scraping and removing rail cars at the derailment site, excavating contaminated areas, removing contaminated fluids from affected storm drains, and transporting Recovering the waste for.
“Aerial monitoring and sampling will continue until the removal of heavily contaminated soil in the derailment area is complete and the odor in the community subsides,” the agency said.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent a letter to Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw on Sunday, demanding accountability and calling for more safety regulations.
Buttigieg wrote to the chief executive of the railway, “The people of East Palestine cannot be forgotten, nor can their pain be considered the cost of doing business.”
“You have previously indicated to me that you are committed to meeting your responsibilities to this community, but it is clear that residents of the area are not satisfied with the information, presence and support they have received from NorfolkSouthern in the outcome and recovery Have been,” Buttigieg added.
Brown also promised to hold the railroad company accountable for impact on the community, telling a news conference that he would “make sure Norfolk Southern does what it says it has promised.”
“All the cleanup, all the drilling, all the testing, all the hotel stays, it’s all on Norfolk Southern. They caused it, there’s no doubt they did it,” Brown said, adding the total cost was in the tens or hundreds of millions. May be in dollars.
Norfolk Southern’s CEO posted an open letter “I hear you” and “we are here and will remain here as long as it takes to ensure your safety and help East Palestine recover and thrive,” telling residents of East Palestine on Saturday.
“Together with local health authorities, we have implemented an extensive testing program to ensure the safety of East Palestine’s water, air and soil,” Shaw said in the letter. On our commitment to help rebuild.