Status: 02/17/2023 05:01 a.m
After a freight train loaded with chemicals derailed in the US state of Ohio, local residents are concerned about the health consequences. They are now demanding answers – but they are not getting any.
The nerves of many are blank. Frustration with the authorities was vented among residents of East Palestine at a town hall meeting later this week.
Arne Bartram
ARD Studio Washington
Kristina Ferguson demands: “We need help! We need President Biden, we need civil protection. People are getting sick. We shouldn’t have been left behind before it’s all over. You don’t leave families with children and tell them: Clean with detergents !”
Carcinogenic chemical released
The fear of the long-term consequences of the released chemical vinyl chloride is particularly great. It is considered carcinogenic. Pictures show how a cloud of black smoke passed through the area after the accident. Local residents also report that the air is said to have smelled of burnt plastic.
According to the authorities, several streams in the region have actually been contaminated. Thousands of dead fish are expected. Local residents tell a CNN reporter: “I would not recommend anyone to plant anything here this year, vegetables, tomatoes or anything else.”
And a woman says: “When we drive past the streams, there are teams with white and black hoses everywhere. Every day. And they don’t tell us what they’re doing there. I drive past there with my children on the way to school. They have questions and I can answer them dont answer.”
East Palestine residents at a town meeting on the chemical spill in the city.
Image: AP
Mayor asks for help
Trent Conaway is the mayor of the city of around 5,000 and feels overwhelmed by the situation:
I need help! I’m not prepared for this. I’ve always seen myself as a leader and I know the people here have my back. I’ll do whatever I can to resolve this.
The government is trying to take away the insecurities of the people in East Palestine, sending experts and officials to the town. They say: There is no longer any danger for the people. Both the air and the drinking water are now harmless.
Michael Regan, chief of the US Environmental Protection Agency, said: “Anyone who is complaining about health consequences, we ask that they seek medical help and contact the authorities. We want to be aware of this. We have water and air quality in some areas measured and the results show it’s safe there.”
Growing criticism of crisis communication
The case is now getting more and more attention across the United States and is causing criticism of the authorities’ crisis communication. Joseph Allen, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, says on CNN:
It can be assumed that the air and water quality is now back to normal. Nevertheless, you always want to see the raw data, of course. I want to know which limit value the environmental authority classifies as harmless and whether the measurement results are below that.
Meanwhile, the criticism of the railway company of the derailed freight train is growing. You didn’t pay enough attention to safety. The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that those responsible for this disaster will be held accountable.