East Palestine residents return after train derailment causes chemical fire | USA TODAY

East Palestine residents returned home following evacuations after a train hauling chemicals derailed in Ohio.

RELATED: Ohio train derailment prompts 'major explosion' warning

Evacuated residents can return to the Ohio village where crews burned toxic chemicals after a train derailed five days ago now that monitors show no dangerous levels in the air, authorities said Wednesday.

Around-the-clock testing inside and outside the evacuation zone around the village of East Palestine and a sliver of Pennsylvania showed the air had returned to normal levels that would have been seen before the derailment, said James Justice of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"Hundreds and hundreds of data points we've collected over the time show the air quality is safe," he said. Residents were ordered to evacuate when authorities decided on Monday to release and burn five tankers filled with vinyl chloride, sending hydrogen chloride and the toxic gas phosgene into the air.

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27 comments

  1. 😱😵😱😵😱😵🤪😜🤪😜🤪😜😂🤣😜🤣😨😱😵🤪😜😂😂🤣😨😱😵🤪😜😂🤣

    1. @NoctOG333 the land is ruined. Their homes are ruined. Forever chemicals are called that because they don’t go away:

  2. Media reporting what Norfolk Southern wants reported, which is classic move during events like this. Norfolk dug a pit, breached the cars, and intentionally set the chemical on fire then buried the contaminates and put down new tracks before residents returned.

    1. They declared the drinking water supply was safe.
      I wouldn’t blame anyone for boiling and filtering it just to be safe.

  3. 🤣Only in America. Over the next ten years health problems will arise and the denial by the chemical, insurance and train companies will happen. As per the norm.

  4. Get the hell out of there. Watch the movie Erin Brokovich. Learn to mobilize as a community. Take pictures and document everything. Don’t let your community become Love Canal. Love and prayers to those affected. Firefighters and first responders are incredibly brave humans out there, thank you for your service.

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