Seeking answers about the derailment and chemical spill of a Norfolk Southern Railway train in their village on Feb. 3, East Palestine residents gathered at a town hall meeting on Feb. 15.
Some agencies—including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio EPA—were there. Norfolk Southern chose to dodge the meeting, leaving many residents frustrated.
The company stated safety concerns were the basis for its decision.
Before the meeting, Norfolk Southern released the following statement.
“Today, we hoped to join local, state, and federal officials at a town hall to update the East Palestine community on the steps we are taking to thoroughly, responsibly, and safely clean up the accident site and to provide the latest results from ongoing water and air testing….