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Worker safety worries brings OSHA into East Palestine, OH
As the aftermath in East Palestine wears on there's growing concern about the workers helping get the village cleaned up and back to normal.
Sunday, March 5th 2023, 5:49 PM EST
Updated:
As the aftermath in East Palestine wears on there's growing concern about the workers helping get the village cleaned up and back to normal.
This weekend saw officials with OSHA in town at some of the work sites as the remediation of those toxic chemicals continues.
As more than 2,000,000 gallons of toxic liquid and more than 700 tons of contaminated soil have been collected from the Norfolk Southern train derailment
residents in East Palestine worry about all who have helped or continue to help with the clean up.
"They're not wearing protective gear when they're out here doing this. They have these guys down here who also care about their families and who care about
their health doing the work," Jami Cozza said.
In a letter to the Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg the American Rail System Federation of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters states due to chemical
exposure workers have reported nausea, migraines, and other symptoms.
The union states Norfolk Southern did not offer or provide 40 of it's maintenance workers with appropriate personal protective equipment such as respirators, eye protection,
protective chemical suits, rubber over boots and rubber gloves for safely working around spilled chemicals.
First Responders are also monitoring their health after working right against the fire, or those who inhaled the burning chemicals in clouds of smoke while assisting further out.
"The other long term unknown is what is the effect on fire fighters health?" said Western Reserve Joint Fire District Fire Chief David "Chip" Comstock said.
Comstock requested a list of all chemicals but that list didn't include all chemicals leaking or on fire until around two days after the derailment.
As the rail road has contractors dig up contaminated soil as ordered by the US EPA, there are additional worries about workers at ground zero.
Plus there are worries for residents who live a stones throw away from the toxic train derailment site.
Jami Cozza with River Valley Organizing says the Harvard professor at their community meeting expressed additional concerns.
"He also said there should not be people around when they start digging up those tracks. The EPA said it's going to release gasses, and the professor said that's dangerous to anyone in the area," Cozza added.