BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — Pennsylvanians affected by the Norfolk Southern toxic train derailment in East Palestine had a chance to talk to agencies and companies handling the cleanup on Thursday.
Many people told us they believe Pennsylvanians have been largely left out of the recovery process and Thursday’s information fair was long overdue.
“We’re just now starting, as you can see, getting things going in Pennsylvania,” Marcy Ford said. She’s in a unique situation. She lives in Darlington Township, Beaver County, but operates a farm in East Palestine.
“I’m closer than most of the people in the 44413 area code, but there’s been no assistance for us. Nobody’s testing our wells, testing our soil,” Ford said.
“At some points, we feel like we’re being left out, so that’s why we wanted specifically tonight to be Pennsylvania only,” Beaver County Emergency Services Director Eric Brewer said.
He told Channel 11 that people on this side of the state line deserve to have their concerns addressed.
“We have the train tracks about a hundred feet behind our house. So, what are those trains carrying along with them as they cross over from East Palestine into PA?” Jody Jonas questioned. She lives in Enon Valley, Lawrence County and has started taking anxiety mediation since the derailment six weeks ago.
A representative from the PA Department of Environmental Protection told Channel 11 private wells and soil are being tested as far away as two miles. Both Jonas and Ford live further away than that and haven’t been able to take advantage of the service.
Channel 11 did reach out to Norfolk Southern and was told there would be no interviews from representatives at the event.
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