Seeking answers about the derailment and chemical spill of a Norfolk Southern Railway train in their village on Feb. 3, East Palestine residents gathered at a town hall meeting on Feb. 15.
Some agencies—including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio EPA—were there. Norfolk Southern chose to dodge the meeting, leaving many residents frustrated.
The company stated safety concerns were the basis for its decision.
Before the meeting, Norfolk Southern released the following statement.
“Today, we hoped to join local, state, and federal officials at a town hall to update the East Palestine community on the steps we are taking to thoroughly, responsibly, and safely clean up the accident site and to provide the latest results from ongoing water and air testing.
“We also wanted to be available to provide information on resources from our Family Assistance Center.
“At the same time, we know that many are rightfully angry and frustrated right now. Unfortunately, after consulting with community leaders, we have become increasingly concerned about the growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event stemming from the increasing likelihood of the participation of outside parties.
“With that in mind, Norfolk Southern will not be in attendance this evening. We want to continue our dialogue with the community and address their concerns, and our people will remain in East Palestine, respond to this situation, and meet with residents.
“We are not going anywhere. We are committed to East Palestine and will continue to respond to community concerns through our Family Assistance Center and our hotline for citizens to ask questions regarding return to home and health questions.
Brandon Nalesnik, a father of four who lives in western Pennsylvania near the crash site, said that officials didn’t provide the answers he was hoping to hear at the town hall.
“You could definitely tell by the outpouring, members of the community showed up to find out information. We got the runaround. No direct answers,” Nalesnik said.
“You know, when you have a group of community members looking for information, and the people you’re looking to are scared to provide you with that information, that is rather disturbing.”
“It really starts with that railroad company taking ownership and dictating in a really positive way how they could impact this community,” Nalesnik added. “They’re nowhere to be found.”
The scene outside East Palestine High School before the town hall resembled a crowd gathering for football. A long line of residents anxious to get inside and get answers from officials stretched from the gym’s entrance all the way to the football field a few hundred yards away.
Initially, the event was scheduled to be a town hall where officials would have a question-and-answer session. The format was changed to one that looked like a trade show with booths staffed by representatives of the EPA, state agencies, and other organizations. After the event started, complaints from citizens mounted.
“This is not why we came here,” one man said.
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway later announced that officials would speak and answer residents’ questions.
On Feb. 3, a train operated by Norfolk Southern carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine. Of the 50 freight cars, 11 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.
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.
In the early stages of the town hall, one resident asked Conaway why crews performed a controlled burn of the toxic chemicals.
“There were two options: We either detonate those tanks, or they detonate themselves,” Conaway said. “Yes, harmful chemicals went into the air. I am truly sorry, but that is the only option we had. If we didn’t do that, then they were going to blow up, and we were going to have shrapnel all across this town.”
While some East Palestine residents have decided to relocate for good, Conaway told reporters at the town hall that he is remaining for the long term and that “I need help” from federal agencies.
“I have the village on my back, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make this right,” Conaway said. “I’m not leaving, I’m not going anywhere. This is my town. I’m not going to sell my house. I’m not going to move my kids out of the school. I’m here to stay.”
At one point during the town hall meeting, Conaway stepped out into the hallway outside the gym where tables were lined with donations for residents including food, bottled water, cleaning supplies, and coloring books for children.
He was approached by Jami Cozza, whose family has lived in East Palestine for several generations near a creek that is now contaminated by toxic chemicals from the crash.
After talking to Conaway, Cozza told The Epoch Times that, initially, Norfolk Southern conducted air testing and told her it was safe to return home. She is currently staying at a hotel paid for by the railroad.
“I asked for additional water and soil testing, and they [Norfolk Southern] agreed and sent a senior toxicologist,” Cozza explained. “He told me that my house was not safe and that I shouldn’t return.
“I’m vocal and had I not used my voice and thrown a fit, I would be sitting in that house with my 3-year-old daughter breathing the toxic chemicals,” Cozza said. “How many children—how many people—are inside their homes and are in danger? How can any of us trust the railroad? I don’t trust them.”
Norfolk Southern is giving East Palestine residents who live within a designated proximity of the derailment site what they call “inconvenience checks” of $1,000. They are paying for hotel costs of residents who are displaced from their homes.
“It’s not about the money. It’s about our house. It’s about our town,” Cozza said. “This is our home. This is our life, and we are not getting the help that we need. Everyone deserves to live and sleep in a home that is safe from toxic chemicals.”
On Feb. 16, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan arrived in East Palestine and told reporters that the agency will hold Norfolk Southern accountable for its role in the crash.
“We issued a notice of accountability to the company, and they’ve signed that indicating that they will be responsible for the cleanup,” Regan said.
“But as this investigation continues, and as new facts arise, let me just say, and be very clear, I will use the full enforcement authority of this agency, and so will the federal government, to be sure that this company is held accountable.”
The Ohio EPA has repeatedly told residents that water from the village’s municipal system is safe to drink. The agency added that people with private wells should get their water tested.
“We are testing for the full breadth of toxic chemicals that were on that train that was spilled,” Regan said on Feb. 16. “We have the capabilities to detect every single adverse impact that would result from that spill, and that’s what we’re doing.”
On Feb. 16, Gov. Mike DeWine said that the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) will not provide assistance for East Palestine residents—at least for now.
FEMA declined to help because East Palestine is not eligible for disaster assistance, DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney said on Feb. 16. It said the derailment and subsequent chemical spill and controlled burn that sent toxic chemicals into the air do not qualify as a traditional disaster, like a tornado or hurricane, he added.
The association is “in constant contact with the emergency operations center in East Palestine and with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency,” said FEMA spokesperson Jeremy Edwards.
“We are closely coordinating with EPA, HHS, and the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], who are helping to test water and air quality, and to conduct public health assessments,” Edwards added.
According to DeWine’s office, the governor spoke with President Joe Biden on Feb. 16 and Biden pledged support for clean-up and monitoring.
“As a result of this conversation, the governor has requested assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health and Emergency Response Team, and the CDC to provide on-the-ground assistance in East Palestine,” a statement from DeWine’s office said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will assist with health care costs of East Palestine residents, Tierney noted.
DeWine added that he has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to immediately dispatch medical experts to East Palestine and help residents with questions and health symptoms.
Since the crash, many residents have said they are experiencing headaches, skin rashes, sore throat, vomiting, and other ailments.
Donald Elzer and his wife have multiple businesses in East Palestine, including a hot dog stand and a greenhouse. Standing outside the high school after the town hall, Elzer expressed concerns about the short-term and long-term health ramifications of the toxic chemicals, and the community’s viability for businesses.
“We have a neighbor who has bees, and nobody will buy her honey. We have a friend who has chickens, and nobody will buy her eggs. We have a greenhouse, and Valentine’s Day is usually our busiest day, but we had few customers because people are worried about the flowers and plants,” Elzer said.
“This [the derailment] has multiple impacts. Obviously, our health is the most essential issue, but livelihoods are also important,” Elzer added.
“We worry about our businesses and the property values of our homes. For those people who want to sell and move, it is unlikely that many buyers will pay full price, and many will probably be reluctant to move here because of all the uncertainties.”
On Feb. 8, five days after the derailment and subsequent chemical spill and controlled burn, DeWine arrived in East Palestine and held a press conference announcing that the evacuation order had been lifted and residents could return to their homes.
Some people have yet to return, instead choosing to remain in hotels paid for by Norfolk Southern. For those who chose to come back, many wonder if there are health risks involved, and some question the reason behind removing the evacuation order, including Elzer.
“Norfolk Southern had a train running through East Palestine 15 minutes after Gov. DeWine announced the evacuation order had been lifted. It took four days to find out the toxic chemicals the derailed train was carrying,” Elzer said.
“It makes me think, ‘Was the evacuation lifted because there were no longer safety concerns, or was it so Norfolk Southern can run their trains again?’”
Seemingly on cue, the sound of a horn from a Norfolk Southern train blared in the distance.
