EP officials offer many thanks
Trending
EAST PALESTINE -- East Palestine's mayor and fire chief and the Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency provided the media with a status check of the village Thursday.
But they also offered a lot of thanks and some important numbers for residents regarding reimbursements, air quality, and other needs.
"We thank the residents for coming back into town in a safe manner," Mayor Trent Conaway said. "We're still trying our best for the citizens of the town."
East Palestine entered the international spotlight last Friday night when an eastbound Norfolk Southern train derailed and caught fire. Residents were evacuated within a 1-mile radius, the schools closed and businesses shut down. All eyes were on them when emergency officials decided the best option to avoid a large-scale explosion of the dangerous vinyl chloride chemical in five cars was a controlled release. That sent a large fireball and plume of smoke into the air Monday night, but the move worked.
On Wednesday, residents received the word that they could return home and many did, both that night and Thursday.
Gov. Mike DeWine spoke at two separate news conferences, on Monday and Wednesday, and a ton of agencies helped, including Ohio National Guard, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. EPA and the county and Ohio EMAs, county commissioners and countless emergency personnel from three states.
Conaway, East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick and county EMA Director Peggy Clark said the press conference Thursday would probably be the last for now.
Clark reported the American Red Cross closed the shelter at the jr./sr. high school at noon Thursday. All the people who had stayed there left the night before, some getting rides from the Salem Salvation Army. She said they're immensely grateful to both the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, which hosted a breakfast at a local church Thursday morning.
The rumor phone line that had been sent up at the EMA was shut down at 6 p.m. Thursday because there weren't that many calls. She did note that Ohio Edison shut down power temporarily due to concern with a transformer near the crash site and was turning that back on. She said if residents see a quick blip, it's planned and don't worry.
She provided several phone numbers for residents to call regarding their various needs.
For both residents and businesses who need assistance or reimbursement for expenses resulting from the Feb. 3 train derailment, call the Norfolk Southern Family Assistance Center still headquartered at Abundant Life Fellowship Church in New Waterford at 1-800-230-7049. Norfolk Southern also plans to contact businesses.
For home air screening, call 330-849-3913. For questions about water quality in streams and surface water, call the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency at 614-644-2160.
For air quality information, specifically the readings that have been taken on a continuous basis in East Palestine and the area, visit epaosc.org.
For questions about health or safety concerns, call the CTEH toxicology line at 234-542-6474.
Anyone wanting to know about livestock or produce or pets that may have been in the evacuation zone, contact the OSU Columbiana County Extension at 330-967-7249.
For any unmet needs, such as help with bills, call the Community Action Agency at 330-424-4013.
"As for the fire department, outside of being tired and worn out, we are going through a very arduous process right now of trying to decide what kind of equipment we have left that can still be used," Drabick said.
He said the fire department's gear is out of service due to the fire and the contamination from walking through the chemicals at the scene, but a South Carolina department has stepped forward to lend them some gear. He also said he's been reaching out to manufacturers and trying to decontaminate the trucks. He couldn't say enough about his staff.
He said the fire department was very grateful to all the organizations and people who have shown their generosity to them with food and drinks, but asked that they donate to other organizations that might need help, including local food banks. He said the department doesn't need anything else.
"We love the fact that you guys have really stepped up and cared for us," Drabick said.
Despite the complications with the equipment, he said the fire department isn't going anywhere. The station is staffed and Thursday night they responded to a structure fire involving a chimney, noting no one was hurt.
Clark said at least 300 requests had come in so far for home air screenings, so she asked residents and businesses to be patient. Each screening takes a half hour and there are four teams working 10 hours a day, accompanied by police.
Conaway said the drinking water is fine and is tested every day. The OEPA and U.S. EPA remain in the village. He acknowledged there's still a smell from the chemical that went into the local creek, which runs under village hall, but said that's being cleaned up. There was also an issue with natural gas being out for some residents, but that was being repaired.
He praised the county EMA officials, Clark and Deputy Director Brian Rutledge, and Commissioner Tim Weigle, who used his drone to gather a lot of footage over the site.
"I don't know how we would have made it through this tragedy without them," Conaway said.
As for Norfolk Southern, he knows they have a job to do, but he wasn't happy when the first train ran through East Palestine immediately after the evacuation order was lifted. Someone asked about the fact that the trucks going to the scene weren't being washed off after driving through hazardous materials and were going back out into the village, but Conaway said he was assured they were going to get a street sweeper and clean that up.
"I'm not going to be the country bumpkin that gets talked over by the big corporation. We're going to hold their feet to the fire and they're going to do what they said they were going to do and protect the people in this town," he said.
Conaway said he has talked with U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance and county commissioners about holding Norfolk Southern responsible and again said "we will hold their feet to the fire."
Conaway said on Friday, the OEPA, county health department and a contractor hired by Norfolk Southern will start checking wells, with a couple in town and then outside town and along the waterway. Bottled water is available at the assistance center.
mgreier@mojonews.com