People gathered around the town's gazebo in Lisbon to protest Norfolk Southern's response to the toxic train derailment in East Palestine.

 

The people here from across the valley say the effects of the combusted chemicals traveled through the air, damaging other nearby communities also

 

Around 35 folks turned out to protest holding signs stating Norfolk's CEO has to go, and Don't let them poison the poor.

 

They tell 21 News the radius of people with damages should be at least a 30 to 50 miles or more.

 

Co-organizer Zachery Baker was on his way home from work the day contractors for NS exploded the train cars containing toxic chemicals.

 

"I could see this plume of smoke from the ride home in Calcutta and I lost sleep thinking about how high in the atmosphere that all that toxic smoke and all that dust and ash was spreading out all over the place, and the dioxins they are not testing for. I was concerned for my family, my toddler, and my community," said Baker. 

 

As the toxins mixed with thousands of gallons of water needed to keep the train cars from exploding the chemical mix made their way to creeks in Ohio then Beaver creek in Pennsylvania before reaching the Ohio River. 

 

People in the region fear the toxins could poison an endangered species of a salamander called Hell Benders.

 

"Most of their population is in Beaver Creek which is a problem because they contribute a lot to our ecosystem," said Co-Organizer of the protest Lena Rohr.

 

Residents fear long term effects for them and their children or grandchildren, family and friends. 

 

"Norfolk Southern is ultimately at fault and needs to pay for injustice that has been enacted on people," said Mitch Moomau.

 

“The testing isn’t being done properly to determine how far the wind is carrying these. A few days after Norfolk Southern blew up the trains, the wind shifted and carried a lot of that smoke up to Boardman, the Youngstown area, and in Warren through Trumbull and Mahoning counties,” Glenn Hall said.

 

Hall added, “What they really need to do is offer to buyout anybody who wants to leave their homes, at pre-derailment prices. And they should be paying for everybody’s health insurance. The effects won’t be seen for years and years,” Hall emphasized.

 

They criticize Norfolk Southern’s $100,000 donation to a training facility referred to as cop city in Atlanta where NS headquarters is, saying the company should be donating to projects that preserve not destroy the environment. 

 

A Norfolk Southern worker was suppose to talk wit the group, however a person in the group read the statement saying that the worker believes precision scheduling railroading, with train lengths of up to three miles is to blame for more derailments.

 

The group on hand read a statement saying that the worker believes Precision Scheduled Railroading with train lengths up to 3 miles is to blame for more derailments.