EPA chief at train derailment site: “trust the government” – By Patrick Orsagos (AP News) / Feb 16, 2023
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency got a first-hand look Thursday at the damage and emotional toll left by a freight train derailment in Ohio that spilled toxic chemicals and burned in a huge plume over homes and businesses.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan sought to reassure residents who are skeptical of testing results that say the air is safe to breathe and the water is fit for drinking around East Palestine, where just under 5,000 people live near the Pennsylvania state line.
“I’m asking they trust the government. I know that’s hard. We know there’s a lack of trust,” Regan said. “We’re testing for everything that was on that train.”
Residents are frustrated by what they say is incomplete and vague information about the lasting effects from the disaster.
