US Environmental Protection Chief Says Air Quality Testing In East Palestine Going Well

HOUSTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th March, 2023) Air quality testing in East Palestine, Ohio, is going well weeks after a train wreck resulted in the release of toxic chemicals into the town, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan told Sputnik on Thursday.

"Yes," Regan said on the sidelines of the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston when asked if testing was going well so far. "We're testing 24/7 the air quality and we're still offering the service for testing all homes."

On February 3, a train hauling 20 cars from Norfolk Southern with hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. A big fire erupted due to the derailment, leading to officials burning vinyl chloride inside five of the tanker cars to avoid a catastrophic explosion.

The accident released toxic chemicals, including hydrogen chloride, phosgene, butyl acrylate, and ethylene, into the environment.

Despite repeated assurances that the air and water are safe, residents in the area have told Sputnik of recent health impacts, including headaches, burning skin and irritated eyes as well as anxiety about long-term health risks such as cancer.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources told Sputnik in mid-February that approximately 3,500 fish had died in waterways near the train derailment site.