The head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Michael Regan, visited East Palestine, Ohio, on Thursday to visit the train derailment site and discuss the situation with the city’s residents.
Two weeks have passed since the Norfolk Southern train derailment on February 3 that forced East Palestine residents to evacuate their homes. Regan’s visit came one day after a town hall meeting where residents voiced their growing concerns about the derailment.
The toxic chemical spill and resulting fire are being blamed for the proliferation of dead animals and illnesses occurring miles away from the site, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Regan visited the site of the derailment, met with emergency responders, and addressed the concerns of affected residents. He stressed how important it is to trust the government, claiming it is “getting to the bottom” of the incident.
“Let me be clear,” Regan said, as reported by ABC News, “EPA will exercise our oversight and our enforcement authority under the law to be sure we are getting the results that the community deserves.”
Regan was met with skepticism by some of the city’s residents. Some were unsure about what is going to be done to fix the problem.
“It’s about time they showed up,” John Cozza, the owner of a pizza restaurant in East Palestine told The New York Times. “But I don’t know what they’re going to do about it.”
Regan reiterated his support to the people of East Palestine, telling them that the EPA is doing everything it can to test the area and that he trusts the tests being performed.
“We’re testing for everything that was on that train, so we feel comfortable that we are casting a net wide enough to present a picture that will protect the community,” Regan said at a news conference, per The NY Times. “As a father, I trust the science. I trust the methodology the state is using.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine confirmed on Wednesday that the EPA tested municipal water and found it to be free of contaminants, though it is recommended that everyone with a private well continue to drink bottled water until they have had their water tested.
“With these tests results, Ohio EPA is confident that the municipal water is safe to drink,” DeWine’s office said in a statement, per ABC News. “Because private water wells may be closer to the surface than the municipal water wells, the Ohio EPA recommends that those who receive drinking water from private water wells schedule an appointment for well water testing by an independent consultant.”
Norfolk Southern opted not to attend the Wednesday night town hall meeting. A statement released by the company said it is concerned “about the growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event stemming from the increasing likelihood of the participation of outside parties,” ABC News reported.
Despite concerns, the company has already committed $1 million to help clean up the community.