U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson’s congressional campaign is donating the $18,000 it received from the political action committee of Norfolk Southern, which had a massive train derailment in East Palestine that released toxic chemicals, to the village’s firefighters association.

“The East Palestine firefighters have been working tirelessly to clean up and help rebuild the community,” said Johnson, R-Marietta, whose district includes East Palestine. “We’re in the fight with East Palestine for clean air, clean water and clean answers and we want to help make sure that first responders have the support they need for the next call for help.”

Johnson has visited the village a number of times since the Feb. 3 derailment and has been critical of Norfolk Southern’s response to the incident.

The $18,000 is the total amount the Norfolk Southern PAC has contributed to Johnson, who was first elected in 2010.

Johnson’s campaign fund had $985,265 in it as of Dec. 31, the most recent filing date, according to a report with the Federal Election Commission.

The East Palestine Fire Department lost equipment during the disaster response. The department has had to throw away bunker gear and air packs because of exposure to toxic chemicals.

Johnson said his campaign’s donation will help “in a small way to purchase new equipment to keep the community safe.”

Those wanting to contribute to the relief can mail checks to the East Palestine Firefighters Association, P.O. Box 101, East Palestine, OH 44413.

A 150-car Norfolk Southern freight train, which included about 20 carrying hazardous materials, derailed Feb. 3 in a fiery crash in East Palestine. It caused an evacuation of most of the village as well as those living across the Pennsylvania state line.

As the temperature in one of rail cars got higher, the concern was it would probably explode and pose a life-threatening danger, sending shrapnel into the air and traveling for almost a mile, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has said. It was decided Feb. 5 that a controlled burn of five cars would be done a day later, releasing toxic chemicals into the air and water.

It wasn’t until Feb. 10 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency listed all of the hazardous chemicals released into the air, soil and water by the controlled burn though vinyl chloride previously was discussed by government officials.

About 3,500 fish in nearby waterways died in the first few days after the controlled burn. There have been reports of people getting sick and animals either dying or becoming ill in and around East Palestine since the derailment.

DeWine said testing shows the air is safe and that the city’s drinking water also is safe though Sulphur Run, a creek near the derailment site, has been contaminated and dammed.