Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently addressed a viral video posted by Sen. JD Vance that seemed to show a "chemical rainbow" in a creek in the state's East Palestine area near the site where a train derailed and spewed out toxic chemicals.
During a press conference where officials provided an update regarding the ongoing cleanup efforts for the crash site, DeWine said that they were aware of the video that claimed the waterways of the state were contaminated.
Ohio Train Derailment Cleanup
The governor noted that a part of Sulfur Run that was very near the area of the train's crash site remained severely contaminated. While he said that officials were aware of this fact, he argued that remediating the issue would take a while.
The situation occurred after a Norfolk Southern train derailed on Feb. 3 while carrying toxic chemicals. The accident caused a massive fire that destroyed several cars and leaked dangerous substances into the ground and water nearby, prompting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate, according to Fox News.
The Ohio governor noted that a polluted section of Sulphur Run stream had been blocked off in two separate places immediately after the accident. This was done to prevent the chemicals from getting to other local waterways. DeWine added that there were teams on the ground pumping clean water from the eastern dam, funneling it away from the contaminated section of the stream.
The official said that this allowed the clean water to bypass the area of the derailment to avoid contamination. DeWine argued that similar to how it took some time to deal with the dirt from the accident; it is going to take a while to address the toxic spillage.
DeWine told the people that decontaminating the area was more complex than it would seem. He said he encouraged the public to continue avoiding that area to prevent themselves from possibly getting sick.
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Legal Challenges
According to BBC, some residents of East Palestine have reflected on the incident and how it has affected their lives, with some, such as John and Lisa Hamner, experiencing a standstill immediately after the accident.
The train derailment occurred only a few meters away from the couple's successful garbage truck business, where they worked hard to build a rapport with its more than 7,000 customers. They have been tirelessly growing their business around Ohio town for the past 18 years.
Many residents in the area have said that they consider the train's derailment a seminal moment in the history of their hometown. Officials have also recommended that people drink bottled water to avoid ingesting potentially dangerous chemicals that may have mixed in with the water supply.
Lawsuits have also piled up two weeks after the accident. On Wednesday, the plaintiff's law firm Morgan & Morgan filed a class-action suit in federal court in Ohio. It was made on behalf of two women who lived in the city near the derailment. Six other lawsuits were filed against the train company, claiming negligence and seeking payment for property damage, said CBS News.
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