EPA vows aid amid persisting frustration

Despite assurances, residents fear possible toxic consequences for those who opt to stay

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency traveled to this small community Thursday with promises of aid but faced skepticism from residents outraged over what they saw as a delayed response to the toxic spill unleashed by the recent train derailment.

The visit came within hours of a heated town meeting, during which residents pleaded with town officials to address their safety concerns after Norfolk Southern, the railroad company, declined to send representatives.

Some residents said they did not think the visit by EPA Administrator Michael Regan would do enough. It has been nearly two weeks since the derailment; fears of an explosion prompted a controlled release of chemicals onboard and a multiday evacuation, with increasingly vocal complaints about headaches, noticeable odors and dead fish appearing in local creeks.

“It’s about time they showed up,” said John Cozza, the owner of a pizza restaurant in East Palestine. “But I don’t know what they’re going to do about it.”

Regan’s visit came on the same day the White House, responding to a request from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine for emergency assistance, announced teams from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would head to East Palestine. The community of about 5,000 residents is at the center of anxiety in the wake of the derailment this month of the Norfolk Southern freight train that was transporting hazardous chemicals across the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.

Regan, who faced questions Thursday about whether he would feel comfortable living in the region and allowing his children to drink the water, repeatedly sought to assure the public the testing conducted by the state was trustworthy. Flanked by Ohio lawmakers and officials from his agency, he stressed the tests were accurate and had yet to show serious risks of contaminations.

“As a father, I trust the science. I trust the methodology the state is using,” Regan said at the news conference.