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Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted joined local officials in East Palestine over the weekend to drink water from the city’s tap, in an attempt to convince residents that the municipal water supply is safe. after a train derailment and chemical spill.
Husted, a Republican, joined U.S. Representative Bill Johnson, Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel, and East Palestine’s mayor, fire marshal, and police chief at a joint drink of water in front of the camera.
You all just saw us drink a glass of water. Our municipal water here in eastern Palestine is safe,’ said Mayor Trent R. Conaway. “If you have well water, get it tested and stay out of creeks and creeks – yes, they’re polluted and we’ve had fish kills, but as far as municipal water goes, it’s safe.”
Following the February 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying vinyl chloride and other toxic substances, residents of eastern Palestine expressed fears about air and water safety, amid anecdotal reports of disease symptoms.
The Ohio EPA released final test results Friday confirming “there are no indications of risk to East Palestine Public Water customers.”
Officials including (from left to right) Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel, Mayor Trent R. Conaway, Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, US Representative Bill Johnson and local officials drank the tap water.
At least 3,500 fish, mostly small like minnows and darters, were found dead along more than seven miles of streams in the area, and authorities say the surface water is contaminated and should be avoided.
“The treated drinking water shows no detection of contaminants associated with the derailment,” the agency said in a statement.
The five wells used for the city’s drinking water are within a mile of the derailment site and are at least 56 feet below the surface, covered by a solid steel casing that protects the water from contamination, authorities said.
However, at least 3,500 fish, mostly small like minnows and darts, have been found dead along more than seven miles of streams, according to estimates by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
In addition, many of the area’s residents use water from private wells, which authorities say should be avoided until Ohio EPA tests clear it as safe.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, also said Friday that chemicals that spilled into the Ohio River are no longer a risk, even as people in the community say they have constant headaches and itchy eyes.
The state plans to open a medical clinic in the town of 4,700 to test for its symptoms, despite repeated claims that air and water tests have shown no signs of contaminants.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited the site Thursday, walking along a stream that still reeked of chemicals even as he tried to reassure skeptical residents that the water is safe to drink and the air is safe. to breathe.
“I’m asking you to trust the government,” Regan said. I know it’s hard. We know there is a lack of trust. Officials are “testing everything that was on that train,” she said.
You all just saw us drink a glass of water. Our municipal water here in East Palestine is safe,’ Mayor Trent R. Conaway (right) said Friday.
Still, uncertainty remains about the consequences of a derailment that occurred about two weeks ago.
Peter DeCarlo, a professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University, told ABC News on Sunday that more tests are needed to determine what chemicals are present.
“We just don’t have the information we need to understand what chemicals may be present,” DeCarlo said.
‘We know it started out as vinyl chloride, but as soon as it burns, all bets are off. You have a lot of chemical byproducts that can come from a combustion process like that.
Apart from Regan, no other cabinet member has visited the rural village, where some 5,000 people live.
Many residents were evacuated as crews carried out a controlled burn of toxic chemicals from five derailed tank cars that were in danger of exploding.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has drawn a backlash from some quarters for not visiting the derailment site, with critics accusing him of trying to downplay the disaster.
On Sunday, Buttigieg sent a letter to the chief executive of Norfolk Southern, warning that the freight rail company must “demonstrate unequivocal support for the people” of East Palestine.
“Norfolk Southern must honor its commitment to make residents whole, and it must also honor its obligation to do whatever it takes to stop putting communities like East Palestine at risk,” Buttigieg wrote.
“This is the right time for Norfolk Southern to take a leadership position within the rail industry, shifting to a stance that focuses on supporting, not frustrating, efforts to raise the bar for US rail safety regulation. .”
On Monday, President Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine drew criticism from some Republicans, who argued that he should have visited the site of the East Palestine derailment first.
Administration officials insisted that their response has been immediate and effective.
“We have been on the ground since February 4… and we are committed to supporting the people of East Palestine every step of the way,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“When these incidents happen, you need to let the emergency response take place,” he said. “We took action and people were on the ground.”
On Sunday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency finally sent a team to East Palestine to support cleanup and recovery efforts.
A black plume rises over eastern Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of part of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains on February 6.
No one was hurt when about 50 cars derailed in a fiery, wrecked mess on the outskirts of East Palestine on February 3.
Residents of East Palestine had previously been told they were not eligible for FEMA assistance because their homes were not physically destroyed, even though they may have been chemically contaminated.
“Tomorrow, FEMA will complement federal efforts by deploying a Senior Response Officer along with a Regional Management Incident Assistance Team (IMAT) to support ongoing operations, including incident coordination and ongoing assessments of potential long-term recovery needs,” Governor DeWine said in a statement. on Saturday.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has announced plans to visit eastern Palestine on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, another industrial disaster struck Ohio on Monday, when an explosion ripped through a metallurgical plant outside of Cleveland.
The blast sent molten metal and debris raining down on neighboring buildings and injured at least 14 people, most with burns.
The cause of the explosion at the I. Schumann & Co. metallurgical plant in Bedford remains under investigation.
Fire departments across northeast Ohio responded to the blast, which sent smoke into the sky that could be seen for miles around the damaged factory, about 15 miles southeast of Cleveland.