EPA chief visits Ohio train derailment site amid health concerns among residents
But we're going to begin with the news, and it's not good from Palestine, Ohio. Urgent police were helped there after the toxic train derailment earlier this month. The EPA administrator Michael Regan met with residents of East Palestine yesterday, and they say they need more assistance. The head of Norfolk Southern, the rail line, which operated the train, has acknowledged the company needs to, quote, make things right. Roxana Saberi is in nearby Youngstown, Ohio with more on this story. Roxana, good morning. Good morning, Tony.
Norfolk Southern continues to pledge that it will pay for the cleanup. And federal and state officials say they're doing all they can to monitor air, water, and soil quality. But for many residents, that's not enough. They are deeply concerned about their long-term health, and for some, the frustration is reaching a breaking point. This is disaster nightmare, something you watch on TV. Tracy Hoffman had no idea that when the train derailed just two-tenths of a mile from her home, it would spew toxic chemicals. She fears her water and air are now contaminated, and has joined one of several class-action lawsuits against Norfolk Southern.
You're showering here? Yes, I am. You're washing your clothes? Yes. Are you drinking the water? No. And if we say that the water is safe and the air is safe, we believe it because we've tested it and the data shows it. On a visit to East Palestine yesterday, EPA Administrator Michael Regan tried to reassure skeptical residents of their safety, while rebuking the rail operator. We are absolutely going to hold Norfolk Southern accountable. In a statement to the community yesterday, the company said it will stay here for as long as it takes to ensure your safety and to help East Palestine recover.
It's been cutting $1,000 in convenience checks for residents. Is $1,000 enough? Probably not. The family of the boy, Cassidy Bayless and their 18-month-old son, Erin, were among the hundreds of residents yesterday lining up to collect their money. We walked in our house and everything literally started burning. Our throats, our noses. They live just outside the evacuation zone. How worried are you about your kids? Yeah.
If I had the money to move away, I would. For now, the residents of East Palestine just want answers, especially from Norfolk Southern, the company they say upended their lives. It's been, don't ask questions. That's the way you feel. Yes, absolutely. And I'm pretty peace, love and joy. It's not there now.
Norfolk Southern's problems are growing. Just yesterday, another one of the company's trains derailed outside of Detroit. Authorities say one of the train cars was carrying a hazardous material, liquid chlorine, that that car was not overturned and there were no leaks or spills. Gail? Still very unsettling, Roxanna, not to know exactly what you're dealing with. Thank you very much.
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