EAST PALESTINE — Peace of mind for many in East Palestine isn’t priceless. It’s costly and it’s an expense that many cannot afford.

Nearly 100 days have passed since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in the village on Feb. 3 and led to a controlled vent burn of vinyl chloride several days later and some village residents still do not know if their private wells are safe.

While the Columbiana County Health District and Norfolk Southern contractors have partnered to sample and test private wells, those who live outside the 1-mile evacuation zone are not eligible for free testing.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, spent Monday in Columbiana County talking to local farmers. During his visit, the senator told reporters that he and others in Washington are making sure that “Norfolk Southern pays for every test,” including tests for water, soil and air quality. The senator was surprised to learn that there were residents inside the village who still have not received private well testing.

“I have met with Norfolk Southern repeatedly,” he said. “They have committed to paying for tests. If anybody that calls my office that is outside of that zone and makes a good case, I will push Norfolk Southern for this.”

During the Environmental Protection Agency’s informational session on private well testing on May 4 in East Palestine, Laura Fauss, the county health district public information officer, explained the initial plan only included sampling and testing wells within a quarter mile of the derailment site. That area expanded as more information about surface and groundwater became available and plume data collected was analyzed by the EPA.

The well testing was then increased to three zones. As of now, there are no plans to further expand the sampling areas, despite frustration expressed by residents who do not qualify for private well testing under the current marked zones. Those residents were advised to contact private-sampling companies.

When asked if Norfolk Southern would pay for those tests, Fauss and EPA response coordinator Mark Durno both said they couldn’t answer that question. Other residents in the crowd said they already knew the answer and reported that they were turned down for private well testing by the Norfolk Southern Family Assistance Center and that calls to both the EPA and County Health Department have not been returned.

The EPA reports that 398 private wells have been tested with 361 final results reported. Of those 361, four tests showed exceedances of certain compounds but all four were retested and declared “non-detect.” All 398 wells are located within one of the three zones.

Brown said all East Palestine residents need to know if their water is safe, among other things.

“One of the terms I hear is ‘uncertain future’ when it comes to this derailment,” he said. “In the respect to the soil and the water, but also to human health, if something happens to people’s bodies three or five years after their exposure to this and also the uncertain future of home values. People who live in the village or just outside the village need regular testing of their water, people inside the village need to know what is happening to their homes and what is happening to their food. I am going to keep coming back until people get their lives back to normal.”

Brown can be contacted through his website at brown.senate.gov, by phone at 216-522-7272 or 216-522-2239.

selverd@mojonews.com