Waste shipments resume but health concerns linger

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The removal of contaminated waste from the site of Ohio's fiery train derailment has restarted amid residents' concerns about their health.

The work restarted on Monday after it was temporarily halted due to concerns over how it was being shipped over the weekend, federal officials said.

Officials ordered the rail operator Norfolk Southern to suspend shipments on Saturday to allow additional oversight measures. Some liquid and solid waste had already been taken to sites in Michigan and Texas.

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is getting close to having enough certified facilities to take all the waste from the site of the Feb 3 derailment in East Palestine, said Debra Shore, a regional EPA administrator.

About 6.8 million liters of liquid waste have been collected from the derailment site, according to the Ohio EPA.

Some of the remaining liquid waste will go to a facility in Vickery, Ohio, for disposal in an underground injection well. Solid waste is being shipped to incinerators in East Liverpool and Grafton, Ohio.

Federal and state officials have repeatedly said air testing inside hundreds of surrounding homes has failed to detect any concerning levels of contaminants. The state has also said the municipal drinking water system is safe.

Despite assurances, many residents are worried about what they were exposed to and how it will impact the area.

NBC News reported that residents and workers near the site have been diagnosed with bronchitis and other conditions that doctors and nurses suspect are linked to chemical exposure.

Bronchitis is characterized by inflamed airways that often lead to coughing and wheezing. It is usually caused by a virus, but chemical bronchitis is caused by inhaling chemical irritants, according to John Balmes, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and spokesman for the American Lung Association.

He said the severity depends on the volume of chemicals inhaled and whether people have preexisting conditions, such as asthma. Most people see their symptoms resolve within a few weeks to a couple of months, and long-term effects are unlikely except in high-risk patients.

Symptoms reported

Apart from breathing issues, some residents have reported headaches, nausea and rashes, the report said. These can be symptoms of chemical exposure, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which stationed a team in East Palestine on Monday to interview residents and investigate potential health issues.

On Friday, environmental activist Erin Brockovich warned of long-term health and environmental dangers from chemicals.

"You want to be heard, but you're going to be told it's safe, you're going to be told not to worry," Brockovich said. "That's just rubbish, because you're going to worry. Communities want to be seen and heard."

"I feel worse," said Brooke Hofmeister, a mother of two young children who said she feared for their health. "The truth is pretty scary."

Agencies - Xinhua