There is no evidence a massive railroad car derailment in East Palestine that released toxic chemicals has caused damage to the air, Gov. Mike DeWine and state officials insist.

But the chemicals did get into nearby water and killed about 3,500 fish of 12 species across 7.5 miles of waterways, Mary Mertz, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said Tuesday at a news conference in Columbus.

Also, even though some people say they have gotten sick and / or their animals have died or become ill as a result of the toxic chemicals from the derailment, Mertz said: “We don’t have any evidence of any nonaquatic species” in Ohio or nearby Pennsylvania dying as a result.

Brian Baldridge, the director of agriculture, said no cases of the chemicals harming livestock have been reported.

Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, also said there’s no evidence of the chemicals causing people to become ill.

The water quality in Sulfur Run — a small creek that runs along Sulfur Run Road and into Pine Creek — continues to be affected but has been contained, Mertz said. There are no current contamination issues with other waterways, she said.

While most East Palestine residents get municipal water, Vanderhoff said those using well water are advised to get their water tested.

DeWine said: “I understand people’s skepticism and I understand their anger. If I lived in the community, I would be angry, too. I would be drinking the bottled water, and I would continue to find out what the tests are showing as far as the air. I would be alert and concerned. But I think that I would probably be back at my home.”

About 50 Norfolk Southern railroad cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed Feb. 3 in East Palestine in a fiery crash. Five of the cars were carrying toxic chemicals.

It was determined two days later that at least one rail car wasn’t in stable condition and if a certain temperature was hit, it could explode causing a “catastrophic event,” DeWine said. Officials decided to control burn five of the cars on Feb. 6.

Before the controlled burn, those living in a 1-mile radius of the derailment site were evacuated. The evacuation order was lifted Feb. 8.

The National Transportation Safety Board reported Tuesday its investigators “have identified and examined the rail car that initiated the derailment. Surveillance video from a residence showed what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment.”

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION

PROPOSED

DeWine said he learned Tuesday the train “was not considered a high-hazardous material train” and Norfolk Southern “was not required to notify anyone here in Ohio what was in the rail cars.”

DeWine called for congressional action to require that notification, saying: “This is absurd. We need to look at this. Congress needs to look at how this is handled.”

DeWine, a Republican, complimented President Joe Biden, a Democrat, for providing federal assistance and offering any additional help to Ohio during a conversation they had last week.

“The president said, ‘Anything I need’ and I haven’t called him back” because there hasn’t been any issues, DeWine said.

Almost 1 million gallons of water near the site have been collected and stored as well as almost 500 cubic yards of soil with toxic chemicals, said Kurt Kollar, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s on-scene coordinator of the Office of Emergency Response.

“The goals of this was to get rid of this material,” he said.

The four hazardous materials that have been found on site are categorized as “volatile organic compounds,” Vanderhoff said and in small doses, “they are a part of our everyday life” such as in natural gas or fuel.

“The good news is the air testing has told us the air looks pretty much as it did before this,” he said.

Vanderhoff said: “The bottom line is from the very start of this we have taken every step possible (to make sure) that everyone’s safety was first and foremost.”

DeWine said he spoke with Alan Shaw, Norfolk Southern’s CEO, earlier Tuesday and was guaranteed that “the railroad would stay there until absolutely everything was cleaned up. He gave his word and his commitment that the railroad would do that. They would not leave until it was done.”

If the railroad company doesn’t live up to its promises, the state would sue, DeWine said.

“The impact on this community is huge,” he said.

Norfolk Southern initially had offered $1,000 “inconvenience” payments to those impacted by the derailment. But the railroad company announced Tuesday that it gave $1 million to about 700 families and more than 30 businesses for costs related to the evacuation, including lodging, travel, clothes and other related items.

dskolnick@vindy.com

dskolnick@tribtoday.com