An Ohio resident's fear after a chemical train derailment 2:28
(CNN) --
Although authorities have repeatedly assured residents that the water and air in East Palestine, Ohio, are safe following the derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials earlier this month, anxiety has gripped them. the community amid reports of rashes, nausea and headaches.
The state is scheduled to open a health clinic in East Palestine on Tuesday for residents concerned about possible symptoms related to the derailment, and the Joe Biden administration announced the deployment of experts to help assess what dangers remain in the area after it Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will order medical kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Department of Health.
What chemicals were spilled in the Ohio derailment and how dangerous are they?
It's been more than two weeks since a train carrying vinyl chloride derailed in the small community of fewer than 5,000, igniting a day-long inferno and forcing crews to detonate the toxic chemical to prevent a life-threatening explosion.
The detonations unleashed a black cloud of smoke over the area, where a chemical stench lingered for days.
Although the evacuated residents were deemed safe to return home on February 8, community members have questioned the safety of their town and the validity of the air and water tests.
US Senator Sherrod Brown said residents have a "right to be skeptical."
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"We believe the water is safe," Brown told CNN, citing comments from administrators at the federal and state Environmental Protection Agencies.
"But when they go home, they should be tested again in the water, soil and air, not to mention the ones with their own wells."
The evacuation order for the toxic train that derailed in Ohio was lifted a week ago, but some are not comfortable going home
The tests carried out on the quality of the air in more than 530 homes have not revealed the detection of pollutants, as reported this Sunday by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA for its acronym in English).
As for water, vinyl chloride has not been detected in any of the waterways near the train derailment, EPA official Tiffani Kavalec told CNN last week.
And while some waterways in the area were polluted, killing thousands of fish downstream, authorities believe those pollutants are contained.
After crews discovered contaminated spills in two surface water streams, Sulfur Run and Leslie Run, Norfolk Southern installed barriers and levees to restrict the flow of contaminated water, according to the EPA.
However, despite assurances from officials that the water is safe, some residents are too afraid to drink from their taps, and the city has been handing out bottled water.
Desiree Walker, a 19-year resident of the city who lives just 270 meters from the site of the derailment, told CNN affiliate WOIO that she refuses to let her children drink the water for fear that it may have harmful effects on their long-term health.
"It's very concerning because they are young. They have their whole life ahead of them," Walker said.
"I don't want this to affect them in the future. I want them to have a long and happy life."
Walker said his family is experiencing symptoms, but doctors tell them they don't know why to test.
"Especially at night is when we smell it the most," he told the station.
"Our throat hurts, we cough a lot. My son's eyes have closed."
'Why do people get sick?'
People line up at the Norfolk Southern Assistance Center to pick up a $1,000 check for reimbursement for their expenses on February 17, 2023, after being evacuated from their homes in East Palenstine, Ohio.
(Credit: Michael Swensen/Getty Images)
As anger and frustration grew in the small town, hundreds of East Palestine residents attended an assembly last week to express concern about air and water safety in their community.
Residents reported a variety of problems—including rashes, sore throats, nausea, and headaches—and shared concerns that the symptoms could potentially be related to chemicals released after a train derailment.
"Why are people getting sick if there is nothing in the air or water?" a resident yelled during the gathering.
What is East Palestine like?
Life in the Ohio town where a hazmat train derailed
Ayla Antoniazzi and her family returned to their home, less than 1.5 kilometers from the crash site, one day after the evacuation orders were lifted.
Her mother made sure to air out the house and wash all the bedding before bringing her children home.
"But the next day when they woke up, they weren't themselves," Antoniazzi said.
"The older one had a rash on her face. The younger one, too, but not as bad. The 2-year-old was clutching her eye and complaining that it hurt. She was very lethargic, so I took her to my parents' house."
The Ohio Department of Health clinic set to open its doors Tuesday is meant to help East Palestine recover from the incident, according to authorities.
The clinic will be staffed with registered nurses, mental health specialists and, at times, a toxicologist, the agency said.
"I listened to them, the state listened to them, and now the Ohio Department of Health and many of our partner agencies are providing this clinic, where people can come and discuss these vital issues with medical providers," said the department's director, Dr Bruce Vanderhoff.
The decision to carry out controlled detonations at the derailment site on February 6 has also fueled skepticism and questions about safety.
Ayla Antoniazzi's 4-year-old daughter developed a rash after going back to school in East Palestine.
(Courtesy of Ayla Sue Antoniazzi)
According to authorities, the goal was to prevent an explosion at the derailment site by venting the toxic vinyl chloride and burning it in a pit, sending a thick column of smoke over the city.
Vinyl chloride—a man-made substance used to make PVC—can cause dizziness, drowsiness, and headaches, and has also been linked to an increased risk of liver, brain, lung, and blood cancers.
Burning gaseous vinyl chloride could break down into compounds such as hydrogen chloride and phosgene, a chemical weapon used during World War I as a suffocating agent, according to the EPA and CDC.
After the detonation, crews checked the air for chemicals of concern, including 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 were normal.
Now work continues to clean up the accident site.
The train operator, Norfolk Southern, is "disassembling and removing railcars at the derailment site, excavating contaminated areas, removing contaminated liquids from affected storm drains, and preparing recovered waste for transport to an approved disposal facility." the EPA said on Sunday.
"Air monitoring and sampling will continue until removal of heavily contaminated soil from the derailment area is complete and odors in the community abate," the agency said.
Calls for accountability on the rise
The US Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, sent a letter on Sunday to the CEO of Norfolk Southern, Alan Shaw, demanding accountability and demanding greater safety standards.
"The people of East Palestine cannot be forgotten nor can their pain be considered simply the cost of doing business," Buttigieg wrote to the chief executive of the railway company.
Govt Sends Medical Experts To Ohio Toxic Waste Train Crash Site As Residents' Safety Concerns Grow
"They have indicated to me before that they are committed to fulfilling their responsibilities to this community, but it is clear that area residents are not satisfied with the information, presence and support they are receiving from Norfolk Southern in the aftermath and recovery. "Buttigieg added.
Brown also vowed to hold the rail company accountable for community impacts, saying at a news conference that it will "make sure Norfolk Southern does what it says it's going to do, what it's promised to do."
"All of the cleaning, all of the drilling, all of the testing, all of the hotel stays, all of that is Norfolk Southern's responsibility. They caused it, there's no question they caused it," Brown said, adding that the total cost could go up. to tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
The CEO of Norfolk Southern released an open letter on Saturday telling East Palestine residents: "I hear you" and "we are here and we will stay as long as it takes to ensure your safety and help East Palestine recover." and prosper."
"Together with local health officials, we have implemented a comprehensive testing program to ensure the safety of East Palestine's water, air and soil," Shaw said in the letter, adding that the company has also started a fund for US $1 million "as a down payment on our commitment to help rebuild."
CNN's Brenda Goodman, Caroll Alvarado, Artemis Moshtaghian and Sam Fossum contributed to this report.
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