The Biden administration tried to reassure Thursday after the derailment of a train carrying chemicals in a locality in Ohio, whose inhabitants, increasingly worried about their health, are demanding an explanation.
“I want people to know that they don’t have to deal with this alone. […]. We will be there to help, ”said the head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Michael Regan, who visited the site, in East Palestine, in the northeast of the country.
Mr Regan said no traces of vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride were detected after more than 480 homes were examined, and the water was tested and re-tested “to ensure that these inhabitants are protected”.
“We are going to shed light” on what happened, assured his side in Washington the spokesperson for President Joe Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre. And “we are going to hold Norfolk Southern to account,” the railway company operating the train, she promised.
Mr. Regan, however, said he understood “the lack of confidence” of many residents, and affirmed that the federal government was committed to being “very transparent”.
On February 3, the derailment caused a huge fire and the evacuation of several thousand people. Among other things, the train was carrying vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic and highly flammable chemical used in the manufacture of plastic.
The railway authorities then proceeded to “controlled” releases of vinyl chloride “to avoid a possible explosion” according to the office of the governor of Ohio, releasing toxic fumes into the air.
Since then, an investigation has been launched into the causes of the accident and the case has continued to gain momentum as residents have expressed their concern.
” Need help “
Some have reported to the media that they had had various symptoms, including headaches, and said they feared they would end up with cancer in a few years. Some 3,500 fish also died in surrounding waterways, according to the local natural resources agency.
Based on tests, authorities said the air was “safe” and that analyzes of the municipal system’s water had not detected the presence of any pollutants.
However, they advise people using water from private wells to have it tested and to continue drinking bottled water while awaiting the results.
The inhabitants, who have been authorized to return to their homes, display their mistrust.
One told the local channel WKYC that the residents were “suspicious, paranoid and worried”. Another shared her “fear”.
“I fear for my family, I fear for my city,” Kelly Felger told CNN.
“If the EPA tells me that my air quality is safe, and that the water has been tested and is safe to drink, then I would trust these readings,” Michael Regan told reporters on Thursday.
During a meeting with the mayor and other officials at a high school in East Palestine on Wednesday evening, residents raised concerns about the tests and demanded answers.
Norfolk Southern was to participate but, a sign of tension, preferred not to send representatives, saying in a press release that it feared “physical” violence against its employees.
Visibly angry, but also tired, the mayor of the town of less than 5,000 people, Trent Conaway, told the cameras that he would do “whatever it takes to make things right”, and promised to hold the railway company responsible.
“They screwed up our city. They will fix it,” he said.
But “I need help,” he admitted. “I’m not ready for (face) this. I was not made for that”.