COLUMBUS, Ohio. — A group of people pushing for more transparency from Norfolk Southern and government agencies in the wake of the toxic chemical derailment in East Palestine went to Columbus to make their voices heard.
The group said the hard-working people living in and around East Palestine deserve to get answers to their most pressing questions.
“There is a huge lack of transparency from the top down,” said Ryan McClellan, who was one of the people organizing the protest in Columbus.
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McClellan said that he and the small group he traveled across the state with are fighting for answers. The protest came the same day Gov. Mike Dewine slammed the EPA for a stall in the removal of contaminated soil from the derailment site.
“Now my understanding is there are heaps and piles of contaminated soil they are digging up, just sitting in East Palestine because there is nowhere for it to go,” said McClellan.
DeWine says 24,400 tons of excavated soil are waiting for removal and less than 3,000 tons have actually been removed. He and the Ohio EPA both agree the contamination is a threat.
“The threats of future contamination and future injury to public health cannot be fully eliminated until the contaminated soil is removed from East Palestine,” said the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.
Norfolk Southern is paying people within East Palestine city limits to relocate temporarily during the clean-up.
“They’re paying for people to relocate for six weeks while they dig up all the soil like they should have done in the first place,” said McClellan.
McClellan said the group that traveled to Columbus was small but he is hoping to regroup and get more East Palestine residents to head out again soon and continue to press Ohio leaders for answers.
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