Public health officials plan to open clinics to address the toxic train derailment in Ohio.

Feb. 20 (UPI) — Public health officials will provide medical assistance to residents of East Palestine, Ohio, in response to growing public fears after a train laden with toxic chemicals derailed more than two weeks ago, leading to possible pollution air and drinking water in the region.

Starting Tuesday, health experts from the Ohio Department of Health, the District of Columbia Department of Health and the US Department of Health and Human Services will meet face-to-face with citizens for two weeks in a series of public health clinics to answer medical questions. questions and provide health assessment, medical care and other assistance after a disaster.

Since the crash occurred on February 3, concerned residents have reported continued symptoms such as burning eyes and skin irritation.

“I heard you, the state heard you, and now the Ohio Department of Health and many of our partner agencies are providing this clinic where people can come and discuss these life-saving issues with healthcare providers,” said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, department head. director.

Residents were asked to start making appointments early Monday morning, with the first clinic scheduled to take place on Tuesday from 12:00 to 18:00 at Christ’s First Church on W. Martin Street in East Palestine. Registered nurses, toxicologists and mental health professionals are expected to be on hand to provide assistance and gain more insight into the ongoing situation.

The next classes will be held from 8:00 to 20:00 on Wednesday; from 8:00 to 16:00 Thursday; and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

A mobile unit provided by the DC Public Action Agency will also be on site to provide additional community engagement during the same hours.

The clinics will operate from February 27 to March 4 from 8:00 to 20:00 Monday to Saturday, and the mobile department will be available from 8:00 to 20:00 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Over the weekend, major utility providers in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati shut off the water supply from the Ohio River to prevent any potential chemicals from entering the region.

Greater Cincinnati Water Works, which serves about 240,000 customers in three counties, has called its move precaution while noting that so far no contaminants have been detected at the local water intake site much farther downstream from the accident site.

“Four chemicals involved in the trials were butyl acrylate, vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and ethylhexyl acrylate,” the agency said in a statement. “These chemicals are used in industrial processes, including the production of lacquers, enamels, paints, adhesives, paint thinners and industrial cleaners. So far, these chemicals have not been detected in injected samples.”

Similar results were obtained in tests conducted by the Ohio Valley Sanitary Commission, which monitors chemical levels along the entire 981-mile stretch of the Ohio River.

The accident, which occurred on Feb. 3, involved a Norfolk Southern train loaded with toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride. Fearing an explosion a few days after the accident, emergency officials ordered the controlled chemical arson of five derailed vehicles, causing a large plume of black smoke to rise into the atmosphere on February 6.

Residents were allowed to return home five days after the crash, and as officials tried to quell the panic, which was exacerbated by some 3,500 small fish found dead in several miles of streams near the crash site.

Despite constant assurances that water and air are safe, East Palestine residents are still worried that people, domestic animals, livestock and farm animals were already affected immediately after the disaster.

“Why do people get sick if there’s nothing in the air or the water,” one resident said at a recent city hall meeting that was also meant to allay community fears.

On Sunday, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown also said he considered conditions in East Palestine safe, but said residents have a “right to be skeptical.”

“We think the water is safe,” Brown. told CNN on the State of the Union program. days after he visited a city of less than 5,000 people. “But when you get back to your house, you must check your water again, your soil and your air, not to mention those who have their own wells.”

Lawmakers from both parties are demanding answers from the Biden administration over its response to the derailment, and Republicans have criticized the Department of Transportation’s oversight of the freight system, saying Norfolk Southern was allowed to operate a 150-car train with only three employees.

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