EAST PALESTINE, Ohio—The signs welcoming visitors to East Palestine, Ohio, say it’s “Where You Want to Be.” In a matter of minutes earlier this month, the tranquil lifestyle in this village of 4,761 near the Pennsylvania state line was abruptly altered.
On Feb. 3, a train operated by Norfolk Southern Railway carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine. Of the 50 freight cars, 10 contained hazardous materials.
Following the accident, emergency officials decided to release the gases from the derailed cars in a controlled burn to prevent a potential explosion, although the move released toxic fumes into the air.
As recovery efforts continue, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro have reported that the area’s air quality had been tested multiple times and was below levels of concern.
“U.S. EPA continues to conduct air monitoring throughout the East Palestine community,” the EPA said in a Feb. 12 statement. “Air monitoring since the fire went out has not detected any levels of concern in the community that can be attributed to the incident at this time.”
Working Near the Derailment
Dan and Jonathan Shofstahl are brothers and co-founders of Cardinal Welding, a metal fabrication and welding company located across the street from the derailment site.Dan Shofstahl was in New York for a project when he learned that “there’s a big fire near your shop.”
“As we learned more about how serious this was, my wife took the kids to my mom’s place out of the area,” Shofstahl said. “When I got back on Saturday, we stayed at a hotel until Sunday night, when we were able to return.”
Cardinal Welding was closed for three days, and when it reopened, some employees were “understandably nervous” about returning to work, he said, and customers were informed there would be a delay in finishing their jobs.
“It’s easy to explain the reason why we are a few days behind,” Shofstahl said with a laugh. “I tell them, ‘Just turn on the news and you’ll see why.’”
Business owners and residents in East Palestine and surrounding communities are “skeptical of what they are hearing” from agencies about the aftermath of the derailment and chemical spill, Shofstahl said.
“There is a lot of mistrust of what we are being told by the railroad, the EPA, and every organization,” he said. “There’s a tendency to be suspicious of information being released by a company after an emergency like this, and I get it. But to me, my sense is that this is getting so much exposure that there’s not a single attorney at Norfolk Southern saying, ‘Yeah, we can cover this up.'”
Jonathan Shofstahl said that for a few days, “you could smell a strong odor,” but then it cleared. The concern, the Shofstahl brothers agree, is “the potential long-term environmental impact.”
“What if there’s some kind of toxicity that will cause health problems down the road?” Dan Shofstahl said. “First, we were told there was a derailment. Then there was a fire. Oh, there’s also toxic chemicals. Now, we don’t know what the impact will be in the coming months and years. I don’t think even the experts know.”
Chemicals Found at the Site
On Feb. 10, the EPA sent a letter to Norfolk Southern describing the chemicals found at the site of the train derailment and controlled burn.The letter noted that “multiple rail cars and tankers were observed derailed, breached, and/or on fire.”
Vinyl chloride, a chemical used to make PVC pipes and other products, has received extensive attention as part of the emergency. The National Cancer Institute notes that vinyl chloride has been linked to cancers of the brain, lungs, blood, lymphatic system, and, in particular, the liver.
The EPA’s letter mentions other potentially hazardous chemicals in the derailed tankers.
It specifically notes the presence of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, isobutylene, and butyl acrylate.
Residents Wonder About Future Fallout
The potential long-term environmental and health ramifications of the derailment and chemical spill were the conversation topic at The Original Roadhouse, an East Palestine gathering spot where a group of retired local men sat at a table drinking coffee and eating bacon and eggs.“We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” Sil Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist who lives in the area, said during an interview with a local TV station.
“I was kind of surprised when they quickly told the people they can go back home, but then said if they feel like they want their homes tested, they can have them tested,” Caggiano said in the interview. “I would’ve far rather they did all the testing.
“There’s a lot of ‘what ifs,’ and we’re going to be looking at this thing five, 10, 15, 20 years down the line and wondering. Gee, cancer clusters could pop up. You know, well water could go bad.”
Bob and Marilyn Figley are fixtures in East Palestine. Bob Figley owns Brushville Supply, a hydraulic equipment supplier located next to Cardinal Welding, across from the derailment site.
About a mile away, on the outskirts of East Palestine, the Figleys live on a 30-acre homestead where they are “mostly self-sufficient,” with chickens for eggs and meat, goats, and a sprawling garden.
On Feb. 14, Marilyn Figley walked around the chicken coop and garden, wondering whether the couple will be able to remain self-sufficient.
“The railroad said they would deodorize and sanitize the inside of our house, but we hired an independent company to do something more comprehensive,” she said. “We have tried so hard to be self-sufficient since moving here eight years ago, and we’ve done a good job, but now the future is uncertain.
“We have water that is collected [in a container] off the barn, which now is probably polluted. The chickens appear to be fine, but I don’t know if the eggs are safe. I called the health department. They don’t know anything. The EPA hasn’t told me anything. We need to have somewhere we can go to get our food tested.”
Seeking Answers
The Epoch Times asked the EPA for more insight into the potential environmental and human health risks posed by the chemicals involved in the derailment.A spokesperson for Norfolk Southern told The Epoch Times in a Feb. 13 email that the company received the EPA’s letter and confirmed that it would continue to perform or finance environmental monitoring and remediation.
“Our hazmat team was in East Palestine within an hour of the incident, and the response continues today in close coordination with the Ohio and U.S. EPA, [National Transportation Safety Board], and other federal, state, and local agencies,” the company stated.
East Palestine residents await answers. Marilyn Figley said she is especially worried about their two goats.
“We didn’t get them out of here until Sunday, so they were here Friday, Saturday, and then we took them out Sunday. They’re both pregnant,” she said. “I hauled them out in the back of my Honda SUV and took them to my daughter’s place away from East Palestine.
“Are the babies going to be OK? Is the milk going to be OK? We just don’t know.”
