China News Service, February 17th, a comprehensive report. On the 15th local time, hundreds of angry residents in East Palestine, Ohio, crowded into a high school where a town hall meeting was being held, seeking answers to the health risks they faced. .
Earlier this month, a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in the town, causing a toxic chemical spill.
According to Reuters reports, East Palestine Town Mayor Trent Conaway held a communication meeting with residents at a high school in the town on the same day. There are reporters live on the scene.
Looking angry and tired, Trent Conaway said he wanted to help the town's 4,700 people and hold those responsible for the derailment.
"We need our residents to feel safe in their homes," Conaway said at the start of the meeting.
"I need help. I'm not ready. But I'm not leaving, I'm not going anywhere."
Conaway said he was working closely with Norfolk Southern, the company responsible for operating the toxic train that derailed in East Burroughs on Wednesday.
"They screwed up our town, and they're going to fix it," Conaway said.
Regarding the questions raised by the residents at the scene, the answers given by the authorities are incredible.
First question: "Why don't people outside the one-mile radius of East Palestine get any help?"
The authority replied: "Because that's what the Ministry of Transportation told us to do."
A young boy from East Palestine asked: "Why can't I play in and out of the creek because of that smell?"
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The Ohio EPA replied: "There's a mixture of dead fish and chemicals.
The little boy replied, "That's not fair!"
Some local residents shouted at the scene, "Members of Congress told us that no harmful substances were found in the air or water. You also said the same thing about the ground zero '9·11' World Trade Center. That is a lie!"
Norfolk Southern executives did not attend the meeting, saying they feared violence, the report said.
According to the Associated Press, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said on the 15th that his office is considering legal action against the train operator.
"Pollution continues to proliferate in the area around East Palestine City, causing nuisance, destroying natural resources and causing environmental damage," Dave Yost said in a letter to Norfolk Southern Company on the 15th.
After the accident, half of the residents of East Palestine Town were evacuated.
On the 8th, relevant state, local, and federal officials jointly announced that the air quality samples of the area where the accident was located and nearby residential areas showed that the readings of pollutants of concern have been lower than the level required for safety screening, and the evacuated residents "can go home safely."
The above statement failed to reassure local residents, and many people said they could still smell the chemical smell.
Residents are most worried about the long-term impact of the accident on local air, soil and water quality.