THE TELEGRAPH
The Ohio governor has urged residents to drink bottled water after a toxic train derailment as angry residents demanded answers about whether they were safe from harmful chemicals.
Hundreds of worried residents of East Palestine, near the Pennsylvania border, gathered on Wednesday night to express concerns about the huge plumes of smoke they observed, persisting odours, risks to pets, and the potential effects on drinking water.
The meeting was the latest effort by the local government to quell concerns and growing distrust, nearly two weeks after a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed and a controlled burn of chemicals onboard forced residents to evacuate temporarily.
Those attending demanded more transparency from the railroad operator, which did not attend, citing safety concerns for its staff.
Linda Murphy, 49, who attended the meeting with her husband, Russell, pressed officials about the difficulty of getting her water tested. Dead fish were turning up in a creek near her house, Ms Murphy said, and the smell of chemicals hung in the air. “I don’t understand how we can have this issue and everything is OK.”
The state’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Wednesday that initial tests had shown water from five wells supplying the village’s drinking water are free from contaminants. But the EPA also is recommending testing for private water wells because they are closer to the surface.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine told CNN that while air quality in the town of East Palestine where the wreck occurred was “safe”, residents should not yet drink the water out of an abundance of caution.
“We did get a test back late yesterday of the water in the village and the first well that we tested, the water was fine,” he told the broadcaster, urging people to nonetheless “use bottled water. Don’t take a chance.”
Some residents told the meeting they had found rashes on their children and grandchildren, which had also complained of headaches. “Why are people getting sick if there’s nothing in the air or the water?,” one woman yelled.
Trent Conway, mayor of East Palestine – a town with a some 4,700 population – told residents in attendance: “I don’t feel safe in my town. I tell everybody they’re safe, think our citizens are safe, I think our drinking water is safe, but everybody is concerned. I’m concerned.”
As fears grew about a potential explosion after the February 3 crash, officials seeking to avoid an uncontrolled blast had the area evacuated and opted to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five rail cars, sending flames and black smoke billowing into the sky.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimates the spill affected more than seven miles of streams and killed some 3,500 fish, mostly small ones such as minnows and darters.
Vinyl chloride is a particularly hazardous chemical, linked with a higher risk of some cancers and when burned. It can create a gas that was used as a weapon in World War One.
