EPA opens office near site of East Palestine toxic train derailment
"We want to go that extra mile so that people feel comfortable living in their community," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan said.
EPA opens office near site of East Palestine toxic train derailment
"We want to go that extra mile so that people feel comfortable living in their community," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan said.
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Updated: 6:48 PM EST Feb 28, 2023
LILLIE? WELL, MY CONCERN AND GOOD EVENING TO YOU BOTH. LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH LOTS OF CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS, UNDERSTANDABLY SO TODAY. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS 4 GOING ONE ON ONE WITH ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL REGAN. HOPING TO GET SOME ANSWERS. HOW LONG DO YOU ANTICIPATE HAVING TO BE HERE TO GET THESE PEOPLE ANSWERS AND TO GET THEM FEELING SAFE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY? YOU KNOW, THE ANSWER REALLY IS FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES, BECAUSE UNTIL WE GET THE WORK PLAN BACK FROM NORFOLK SOUTHERN, WE WON’T HAVE A TRUE APPRECIATION FOR HOW MUCH DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE AND HOW MUCH CLEANUP NEEDS TO BE DONE. ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL REGAN JOINING OTHER FEDERAL AND LOCAL OFFICIALS TO OPEN A NEW WELCOME CENTER IN THE HEART OF EAST PALESTINE. REGAN SAYS THE GOAL OF THE NEW CENTER IS TO PROVIDE IN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS OF NEIGHBORS AND AREA RESIDENTS SO THEY CAN SIGN UP FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY MONITORING. THEY CAN SIGN UP FOR HOME AND BUSINESS CLEANINGS, BUT ALSO THERE WILL BE LOTS OF LITERATURE THAT THEY CAN TAKE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. A COMMUNITY STILL WITH LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND WHAT THEY FEEL LIKE ARE FEW ANSWERS. JOE HAPPILY HAS LIVED IN EAST PALESTINE FOR THE LAST 35 YEARS. HE HAS CONCERNS OVER THE AIR. THE WATER AND SOIL, BUT ALSO FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS TOWN. BUT HE CALLS HOME. I FEEL WE’RE GETTING ANY ANSWERS. YOU CAN’T TEST FOR DIOXINS. YOU DON’T HAVE A BASELINE. YOU’LL NEED A BASELINE. BUT WE BREATHE IT IN AND WE DRINK IN IT. THAT’S WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW. SO WE TOOK THOSE CONCERNS THAT THERE MAY BE MORE CHEMICALS IN THE AIR, SOIL AND WATER THAN WHAT THE EPA IS TESTING FOR DIRECTLY TO ADMINISTRATOR REGAN. WE’RE TESTING FOR EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON THAT TRAIN. AND WE’VE BEEN TESTING FOR EVERYTHING THAT’S BEEN THAT WAS ON THAT TRAIN 24 SEVEN SINCE THE DERAILMENT. NOW, IN THE MEANTIME, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE EPA IS NOT CURRENTLY TESTING FOR DIOXINS. THEY SAY THIS IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO BASELINE TO BASE THOSE TESTS OFF OF. HOWEVER, ADMINISTRATOR REGAN SAID HE HEARD THOSE CONCERNS LOUD AND CLEAR AND WOULD BE TAKING THOSE CONCERNS BACK TO WASHINGTON TO SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING THEY CAN DO. IN THE MEANTIME, ON THE GROUND BACK HERE IN EAST PALESTINE, THIS COMMUNITY CENTER OPEN FROM 8 A.M. UNTIL 8 P.M. FOR RESIDENTS WITH QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. FOR NOW, REPORTING LIVE FROM
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EPA opens office near site of East Palestine toxic train derailment
"We want to go that extra mile so that people feel comfortable living in their community," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan said.
The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday he doesn't want any stigmas attached to the Ohio community where a train derailed and spewed toxic gases three weeks ago and that he's pushing the railroad to clean up the mess as fast as possible.The agency is continuing to monitor the air around East Palestine and working to protect the area during the cleanup, said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. State and federal officials say testing has shown no signs of contamination from the derailment in the air or the village's water system.“We don’t want a black eye on this community,” he said.The agency on Tuesday opened an office where people can sign up for air monitoring inside their homes and cleaning services at their homes and businesses. Residents can also go to the office to ask officials other questions about the cleanup effort.“We want to go that extra mile so that people feel comfortable living in their community,” Regan said at news conference after he earlier met with high school students in the village. “The people of East Palestine will not have to figure out what comes next on their own.”Crews resumed hauling contaminated waste from the derailment on Monday after concerns were raised about oversight of where it was being shipped.The EPA has ordered Norfolk Southern to cover the costs of cleaning up from the Feb. 3 derailment that toppled 38 rail cars. No one was hurt, but concerns over a potential explosion led state and local officials to approve releasing and burning toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars.Many residents remain worried about what they might have been exposed to and how it will affect the area in the years ahead.
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) —
The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday he doesn't want any stigmas attached to the Ohio community where a train derailed and spewed toxic gases three weeks ago and that he's pushing the railroad to clean up the mess as fast as possible.
The agency is continuing to monitor the air around East Palestine and working to protect the area during the cleanup, said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. State and federal officials say testing has shown no signs of contamination from the derailment in the air or the village's water system.
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“We don’t want a black eye on this community,” he said.
The agency on Tuesday opened an office where people can sign up for air monitoring inside their homes and cleaning services at their homes and businesses. Residents can also go to the office to ask officials other questions about the cleanup effort.
“We want to go that extra mile so that people feel comfortable living in their community,” Regan said at news conference after he earlier met with high school students in the village. “The people of East Palestine will not have to figure out what comes next on their own.”
The EPA has ordered Norfolk Southern to cover the costs of cleaning up from the Feb. 3 derailment that toppled 38 rail cars. No one was hurt, but concerns over a potential explosion led state and local officials to approve releasing and burning toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars.
Many residents remain worried about what they might have been exposed to and how it will affect the area in the years ahead.
