Lawrence County couple says well water, soil testing urgent after East Palestine train derailment
Lawrence County couple says well water, soil testing urgent after East Palestine train derailment
Lawrence County couple says well water, soil testing urgent after East Palestine train derailment
Lawrence County couple says well water, soil testing urgent after East Palestine train derailment
A Lawrence County couple, who lives about five miles from Norfolk Southern Train derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio, is dealing with the aftermath of the controlled release of vinyl chloride.
Jill and Tim McConaughy said they got sick immediately after that controlled release of vinyl chloride on Feb. 6, three days after the derailment.
For 18 days now, the McConaughys have consumed bottled water only. They said water and soil testing in Lawrence County is urgent.
“I think they should’ve evacuated further out,” Jill McConaughy said.
Both became sick with nausea, headaches, and rashes, to name a few symptoms.
Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Dr. Maureen Litchveld said those symptoms are consistent with vinyl chloride, but there’s no way to know for sure if it was the cause. She’s focused on the possible long-term effects of exposure.
“The organ most vulnerable to vinyl chloride exposure is the liver, so we want to follow, we want to, of course, know it’s in the environment, stop the exposure, but then we went to follow the people who have been exposed for a long time,” Lichtveld said.
That’s now the McConaughys’ main concern.
“What are the long-term effects? We want to get our well tested and our soil tested. We won’t be planting a garden this year, because we are afraid of the soil being damaged,” Jill McConaughy said.
They said the testing is crucial, not only for their sake, but for their animals.
“We probably changed the water a dozen times over the weekend, because it would keep getting a film on it. Something’s definitely there,” Tim McConaughy said.
Gov. Josh Shapiro is directing Pennsylvanians to call the PA DEP, Southwest Regional Office at 412-442-4000.
“The commonwealth, I want you to know, is going to continue monitoring the safety of Pennsylvania’s air, water, and environment to ensure that Pennsylvanians have the information they need to stay safe in the weeks and the months ahead,” Shapiro said.
“It could take months before it shows up in our well so I’d like to get a baseline to see where we’re at with that now, and then keep getting it tested every three to six months,” Jill McConaughy said.
“I want accountability from our government leaders. I’d like more accountability from our industry leaders,” Tim McConaughy said.
Norfolk Southern specifically mentioned East Palestine in a statement, saying in part, “We are committed to thoroughly and safely cleaning the site, and we are reimbursing residents for the disruption this has caused in their lives.”
Jill McConaughy stressed the impact this derailment has had on her community, beyond the one-mile radius of the site.
“East Palestine, and Beaver County area, they are getting bottled water and help, but we are not getting anything, at least nowhere around here,” Jill McConaughy said.