NEW: Residents of East Palestine have been told it’s safe to return home, but they still have questions about lingering exposure in the air, water and soil, even if at low levels.
Residents wait in line at the Norfolk Southern Assistance Center to collect a $1,000 check and get reimbursed for expenses while they were evacuated in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 17.EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Doug Brayshaw was sitting on his porch when a massive plume of black smoke rose over the site of the Norfolk Southern train derailment like a scene out of a horror movie.
More than two weeks later, many East Palestine residents said they remain gripped by fear and anxiety despite assurances by government officials that the air and drinking water are safe.Michael Swensen / Getty Images Jenna Catone, 31, lived in a hotel for 10 days until Norfolk Southern confirmed that her home’s air had been tested.
“I’d like to see things going faster,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in an interview with NBC News. “And I’d like to see things more transparent and that’s why we’re taking this action.”air quality in 533 homes and sampled the municipal water supply and deemed them safe. Testing results for homes that rely on private well water has not come back yet, though 52 have been sampled so far.
Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, an epidemiologist, spent 18 years working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services responding to environmental impacts in the wake of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.“We found that yes, the spores of the mold exposure indoors had the potential to increase asthma attacks in those kids,” said Lichtveld, who is the dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.
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