The Environmental Protection Agency will hold its fifth information session on Thursday, focusing on cleanup and restoration efforts following a train derailment in February. The session will specifically address public health concerns, following residents’ demands for answers on medical questions and symptoms related to the derailment. The meeting will take place at The Way Station and will be attended by concerned residents seeking testing, which revealed exposure to thiodiglycolic acid (TDGA) and vinyl chloride metabolites greater than 0.50 mcg/ml in urine samples. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry notes that vinyl chloride is rapidly broken down by the body, with TDGA being a biomarker of exposure, and its concentrations peaking approximately 20 hours after exposure. The latest session follows previous sessions on soil sampling, air quality, testing of civil wells and discussion of surface water.
Residents have shared concerns that the East Palestine Health Clinic does not provide baseline screening for chemical exposures or refer residents to laboratories that perform such tests. The EPA’s Response Coordinator Mark Durno has recognised residents’ frustration and will provide insight to health officials on medical questions related to test results and other health concerns at the upcoming briefing.