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Railroad Accidents and Disasters

Ohio train derailment latest: East Palestine residents remain fearful; feds pledge more help

Thao Nguyen Taijuan Moorman Victoria Moorwood Brooks Sutherland
USA TODAY NETWORK

More than two weeks after a train derailed near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border releasing toxic chemicals into the ground and water, residents are still reeling with uncertainty as officials are pledging to address growing health concerns and federal agencies are expected to announce additional assistance.

While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Transportation Safety Board continue to investigate the incident, residents of East Palestine, Ohio, have complained about headaches and skin rashes in addition to environmental fears.

The federal agencies maintain that the air and water are safe after officials prompted a controlled released of vinyl chloride to prevent an explosion following the derailment on Feb. 3. But the potential and unknown long-term effects from the toxic chemicals remain a growing fear among East Palestine residents.

Officials are also monitoring chemical levels in areas along the Ohio River to determine the river's water intake.  

Amid several lawsuits claiming negligence against Norfolk Southern Corp., federal officials are setting up a clinic in East Palestine to address the medical needs of residents. National figures and federal agencies were also set to visit the village of nearly 5,000 to provide additional assistance.

FACT CHECK: Ohio train derailment fact check: What's true and what's false?

MORE: Videos show 'disgusting' slicks in creek water near Ohio train derailment. What's going on?

Here are the latest developments:

East Palestine residents remain frustrated amid safety concerns

East Palestine residents remained scared and frustrated over the train derailment that spewed thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals in the area. 

In search of answers, residents had gathered for a meeting with East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway and Norfolk Southern on Feb. 15. But the rail operator had pulled out of the meeting at the last minute, expressing concern for the safety of its employees.

With the lack of answers, fears only grew. The deeper fear, residents say, is about what happens when the broken train cars are hauled away and the TV cameras are gone.

When residents returned from evacuation after being told it was safe, they began to develop sickness, rashes and headaches. Thousands of dead fish were found in surrounding creeks, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and in some areas, the water is covered with film.  

Despite officials maintaining that the water is safe to use and that residents are able to return to their homes safely, the East Palestine community has been reluctant to accept an all clear given the symptoms they face.

Water utilities along Ohio River reopen intakes

Concerns that the chemicals from the derailment had contaminated the Ohio River prompted officials to close water intakes as a cautionary measure over the weekend.

Greater Cincinnati Water Works and the Northern Kentucky Water District reopened their intakes to the Ohio River on Monday after no chemicals were detected. Both utilities shut off the intakes early Sunday in anticipation of water containing low levels of chemicals coming from East Palestine.

After the shutdown, a compound called 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol was detected in the region, Jeff Swertfeger, superintendent of water quality and treatment for Greater Cincinnati Water Works, said. Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky utilities kept their intakes shut off due to the chemical, but it was no longer detected on Monday and the intakes were deemed safe to reopen.

The water near the intakes will continue to be monitored and a possible threat of dioxins, highly toxic pollutants that can cause cancer, is "something that we're gonna keep an eye on," Swertfeger said.

GRAPHICS: Maps and graphics explain toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio

Norfolk Southern continues derailment clean up

On Monday, Norfolk Southern said 15,000 pounds of contaminated soil and 1.1 million gallons of contaminated water had been excavated from the derailment site.

The contaminants will be transported to landfills and disposal facilities designed "to accept it safely in accordance with state and federal regulations," the company said.

According to Norfolk Southern, environmental teams are working to develop a plan to address the remaining contaminants in the stream banks and sediments.

The majority of the hazardous rail cars that derailed have been decontaminated and are being held on-site to allow the NTSB to continue its investigation, Norfolk Southern said. Once that is completed, the cars will be scrapped and moved off-site for disposal.

Federal agencies, national figures to visit East Palestine

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will travel to East Palestine Tuesday to provide an update on the status of remediation work at the derailment site.

Last week, DeWine called for federal assistance and announced that the state would open up a clinic to help address medical needs of residents. The medical clinic is opening Tuesday to analyze the symptoms of residents with a team of chemical exposure experts being deployed to the area.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will also send a team to the area on Saturday to assist with incident coordination and assess potential long-term recovery needs.

Consumer advocate Erin Brockovich will also visit East Palestine this week. Brockovich, with trial lawyer Mikal Watts, will hold a town hall on Friday to help residents understand their legal rights and hold Norfolk Southern accountable, she said.

Brockovich gained notoriety in 1993 for speaking out against the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, which was revealed to have been poisoning a small California town's water supply for three decades and led to a record-setting $333 million legal settlement.

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