Activist Erin Brockovich speaks during a town hall meeting at East Palestine High School, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, concerning the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
(AP Photo/Matt Freed)
JOHN FLESHER
Fri, February 24, 2023
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — Worried residents packed a high school auditorium Friday as activist Erin Brockovich and attorneys warned of long-term health and environmental dangers from chemicals released after a fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Brooke Hofmeister, a mother of two young children, said she feared for their health and felt worse than before about the situation after hearing the presentation.
“The truth is pretty scary," the 29-year-old said.
She and her husband, Cory Hofmeister, said they didn't feel safe in their hometown and were uncertain about whether to remain, echoing concerns raised by many who attended the two-hour session. It was sponsored by East Palestine Justice, a group formed by Brockovich, lawyers and scientific and medical experts.
No one was injured when 38 Norfolk Southern cars derailed in a fiery, mangled mess on the outskirts of town Feb. 3. As fears grew about a potential explosion, officials seeking to avoid an uncontrolled blast had the area evacuated and opted to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five rail cars, sending flames and black smoke billowing into the sky again.
More than 2,000 people registered to attend the meeting Friday, with the crowd spilling into the school gymnasium. Brockovich, who gained fame and was portrayed in a film for battling Pacific Gas & Electric Co. over groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California, told the audience to fight for recognition and trust their instincts.
“You want to be heard, but you're going to be told it's safe, you're going to be told not to worry,” Brockovich said. “That's just rubbish, because you're going to worry. Communities want to be seen and heard.”
Health and environmental risks will remain for years, she said.
“Don’t expect somebody to give you the answers. Unfortunately, this is not a quick fix. This is going to be a long game."
Brockovich and her associates are among a number of legal teams that have come to the area offering to talk with residents about potential litigation over the derailment. Several lawsuits already have been filed.
Federal and state officials have repeatedly said it’s safe for evacuated residents to return to the area and that air testing in the town and inside hundreds of homes hasn’t detected any concerning levels of contaminants from the fires and burned chemicals. The state says the local municipal drinking water system is safe, and bottled water is available while testing is conducted for those with private wells.
Despite those assurances and a bevy of news conferences and politician visits -- including this week from top officials in the Biden administration and former President Donald Trump -- many residents still express a sense of mistrust or have lingering questions about what they have been exposed to and how it will impact the future of their families and their communities.
At Friday night's meeting, attorney Mikal Watts urged people to get their blood and urine tested promptly, saying the results could help establish whether they have been exposed to dangerous substances and could be helpful if they take legal action.
“The court of public opinion and a court of law are different,” he said. “We need evidence.”
The Hofmeisters were among local residents who said afterward they intended to be tested.
Greg McCormick, 40, a lifelong East Palestine resident who was among those evacuated after the train, said he would consider testing.
“I'm just lost, like everyone else here,” he said. “We don't know where we're going, what we're doing. ... We're about to lose our Mayberry, but we're sure as hell going to fight for it.”
JOHN FLESHER
Fri, February 24, 2023
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — Worried residents packed a high school auditorium Friday as activist Erin Brockovich and attorneys warned of long-term health and environmental dangers from chemicals released after a fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Brooke Hofmeister, a mother of two young children, said she feared for their health and felt worse than before about the situation after hearing the presentation.
“The truth is pretty scary," the 29-year-old said.
She and her husband, Cory Hofmeister, said they didn't feel safe in their hometown and were uncertain about whether to remain, echoing concerns raised by many who attended the two-hour session. It was sponsored by East Palestine Justice, a group formed by Brockovich, lawyers and scientific and medical experts.
No one was injured when 38 Norfolk Southern cars derailed in a fiery, mangled mess on the outskirts of town Feb. 3. As fears grew about a potential explosion, officials seeking to avoid an uncontrolled blast had the area evacuated and opted to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five rail cars, sending flames and black smoke billowing into the sky again.
More than 2,000 people registered to attend the meeting Friday, with the crowd spilling into the school gymnasium. Brockovich, who gained fame and was portrayed in a film for battling Pacific Gas & Electric Co. over groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California, told the audience to fight for recognition and trust their instincts.
“You want to be heard, but you're going to be told it's safe, you're going to be told not to worry,” Brockovich said. “That's just rubbish, because you're going to worry. Communities want to be seen and heard.”
Health and environmental risks will remain for years, she said.
“Don’t expect somebody to give you the answers. Unfortunately, this is not a quick fix. This is going to be a long game."
Brockovich and her associates are among a number of legal teams that have come to the area offering to talk with residents about potential litigation over the derailment. Several lawsuits already have been filed.
Federal and state officials have repeatedly said it’s safe for evacuated residents to return to the area and that air testing in the town and inside hundreds of homes hasn’t detected any concerning levels of contaminants from the fires and burned chemicals. The state says the local municipal drinking water system is safe, and bottled water is available while testing is conducted for those with private wells.
Despite those assurances and a bevy of news conferences and politician visits -- including this week from top officials in the Biden administration and former President Donald Trump -- many residents still express a sense of mistrust or have lingering questions about what they have been exposed to and how it will impact the future of their families and their communities.
At Friday night's meeting, attorney Mikal Watts urged people to get their blood and urine tested promptly, saying the results could help establish whether they have been exposed to dangerous substances and could be helpful if they take legal action.
“The court of public opinion and a court of law are different,” he said. “We need evidence.”
The Hofmeisters were among local residents who said afterward they intended to be tested.
Greg McCormick, 40, a lifelong East Palestine resident who was among those evacuated after the train, said he would consider testing.
“I'm just lost, like everyone else here,” he said. “We don't know where we're going, what we're doing. ... We're about to lose our Mayberry, but we're sure as hell going to fight for it.”
Erin Brockovich, experts advise East Palestine residents of grim days to come
Brooks Sutherland, Cincinnati Enquirer
Fri, February 24, 2023
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio − When environmental activist Erin Brockovich took the stage Friday to share what she's learned over 30 years of work on similar disaster relief scenarios, she seamlessly put into words what many residents have felt over the past three weeks.
"I can't tell you how many communities feel that that these moments are the biggest gaslight of their life," Brockovich told an audience of a few hundred at East Palestine High School.
Brockovich's appearance, which was requested by many East Palestine residents who emailed her, put a cap on a week in which multiple notable figures descended upon the small Ohio village that sits near the Pennsylvania border.
On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump visited East Palestine, where he donated bottles of water and cleaning supplies to the community still reeling from a Norfolk Southern train derailment and controlled burn that sent thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals into the air. Then on Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the village to meet with investigators, tamp down criticisms of the Biden administration and call on congress to help reinstate stronger regulation and heftier fines when railroads violate safety rules.
There was also a CNN Town Hall and a visit from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
As he addressed the crowd Friday night in an event billed as a town hall but was more of an informational session, Texas attorney Mikal Watts told East Palestine residents to block out the political noise and stay focused on the many serious health complications the community has yet to face and the litigation that's still to come.
Coverage of the East Palestine train derailment is being provided for free. Subscribe today to support local journalism and access all of our content online.
Watts presented for the majority of the evening a slideshow detailing to residents what happened, what precedent says and what they could face moving forward. As an attorney presenting at an event billed as a town hall, Watts was unable to answer questions due to state law decided by the Ohio Supreme Court. What he did detail is just how often derailments happen.
"It is a shockingly dangerous phenomenon," Watts said.
Attendees listened quietly as Watts went over just how many derailments Norfolk Southern has been involved in alone. Using federal data, his firm, Watts Guerra LLP, found that the rail company behind East Palestine's derailment has reported 3,397 events that could be classified as a derailment over the past 20 years.
"This is happening about every three days," Watts said.
Ohio train derailment:What is Norfolk Southern's safety record?
More than 2,500 people attended a Justice for East Palestine event in the East Palestine High School auditorium Friday.
Brockovich, the famed environmental activist who led efforts to build a groundwater contamination case against a natural gas company 1993, has been involved in similar activism for 30 years. But this case, she says, is different.
Water quality:Ohio officials say East Palestine's water is safe. But where's the full data?
'You burned me:' Norfolk Southern CEO blasted by East Palestine residents in CNN town hall
NTSB report:Norfolk Southern alerted to overheated wheel bearing right before Ohio train derailment
"I've never seen in 30 years, a situation like this," she said, warning residents that what her team was going to present them may scare them. " ... I feel your angst and I feel your frustration. And I want to share something with you, you're not alone."
East Palestine residents fill the East Palestine High School auditorium as Erin Brockovich and others held a Justice for East Palestine event Friday.
Brockovich has whistleblower history
In 1993, Brockovich was a whistleblower against Pacific Gas and Electric Company after discovering a mysterious widespread illness in Hinkley, California. Her efforts exposed that Hinkley's water had been poisoned for 30 years by PG&E, leading to a $333 million settlement for residents affected.
The lawsuit led to an eponymous film starring Julia Roberts in 2000. Brockovich has spoken out about the pollution in East Palestine and the response from the government on many occasions since the Feb. 3 train derailment, urging transparency instead of rampant confusion regarding the risks the community faces.
When lights at the event inadvertently went out, one resident quipped that it was a perfect representation of how they have felt during the process.
"That's how we feel, in the dark," the woman shouted.
Pennsylvania impact: Even 100+ miles from the derailment, residents are asking: Should I be worried?
Erin Brockovich held a Justice for East Palestine event Friday.
Brooks Sutherland, Cincinnati Enquirer
Fri, February 24, 2023
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio − When environmental activist Erin Brockovich took the stage Friday to share what she's learned over 30 years of work on similar disaster relief scenarios, she seamlessly put into words what many residents have felt over the past three weeks.
"I can't tell you how many communities feel that that these moments are the biggest gaslight of their life," Brockovich told an audience of a few hundred at East Palestine High School.
Brockovich's appearance, which was requested by many East Palestine residents who emailed her, put a cap on a week in which multiple notable figures descended upon the small Ohio village that sits near the Pennsylvania border.
On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump visited East Palestine, where he donated bottles of water and cleaning supplies to the community still reeling from a Norfolk Southern train derailment and controlled burn that sent thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals into the air. Then on Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the village to meet with investigators, tamp down criticisms of the Biden administration and call on congress to help reinstate stronger regulation and heftier fines when railroads violate safety rules.
There was also a CNN Town Hall and a visit from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
As he addressed the crowd Friday night in an event billed as a town hall but was more of an informational session, Texas attorney Mikal Watts told East Palestine residents to block out the political noise and stay focused on the many serious health complications the community has yet to face and the litigation that's still to come.
Coverage of the East Palestine train derailment is being provided for free. Subscribe today to support local journalism and access all of our content online.
Watts presented for the majority of the evening a slideshow detailing to residents what happened, what precedent says and what they could face moving forward. As an attorney presenting at an event billed as a town hall, Watts was unable to answer questions due to state law decided by the Ohio Supreme Court. What he did detail is just how often derailments happen.
"It is a shockingly dangerous phenomenon," Watts said.
Attendees listened quietly as Watts went over just how many derailments Norfolk Southern has been involved in alone. Using federal data, his firm, Watts Guerra LLP, found that the rail company behind East Palestine's derailment has reported 3,397 events that could be classified as a derailment over the past 20 years.
"This is happening about every three days," Watts said.
Ohio train derailment:What is Norfolk Southern's safety record?
More than 2,500 people attended a Justice for East Palestine event in the East Palestine High School auditorium Friday.
Brockovich, the famed environmental activist who led efforts to build a groundwater contamination case against a natural gas company 1993, has been involved in similar activism for 30 years. But this case, she says, is different.
Water quality:Ohio officials say East Palestine's water is safe. But where's the full data?
'You burned me:' Norfolk Southern CEO blasted by East Palestine residents in CNN town hall
NTSB report:Norfolk Southern alerted to overheated wheel bearing right before Ohio train derailment
"I've never seen in 30 years, a situation like this," she said, warning residents that what her team was going to present them may scare them. " ... I feel your angst and I feel your frustration. And I want to share something with you, you're not alone."
East Palestine residents fill the East Palestine High School auditorium as Erin Brockovich and others held a Justice for East Palestine event Friday.
Brockovich has whistleblower history
In 1993, Brockovich was a whistleblower against Pacific Gas and Electric Company after discovering a mysterious widespread illness in Hinkley, California. Her efforts exposed that Hinkley's water had been poisoned for 30 years by PG&E, leading to a $333 million settlement for residents affected.
The lawsuit led to an eponymous film starring Julia Roberts in 2000. Brockovich has spoken out about the pollution in East Palestine and the response from the government on many occasions since the Feb. 3 train derailment, urging transparency instead of rampant confusion regarding the risks the community faces.
When lights at the event inadvertently went out, one resident quipped that it was a perfect representation of how they have felt during the process.
"That's how we feel, in the dark," the woman shouted.
Pennsylvania impact: Even 100+ miles from the derailment, residents are asking: Should I be worried?
Erin Brockovich held a Justice for East Palestine event Friday.
Residents report symptoms after derailment
Since the derailment and controlled burn, many residents have reported a number of ailments and symptoms. The state of Ohio set up a makeshift clinic in East Palestine earlier this week in response to help facilitate some of the medical needs of residents. Watts advised them to get blood tests at a local center to make sure they weren't exposed to the dangerous chemicals released into the air.
Maps and graphics:The toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, explained
Lisa Fulton, who lives on Taggart Street right by the scene of the derailment, said she has felt some symptoms since the derailment occurred and wanted to find out more information about what her next steps should be.
"I saw the fire come right down the tracks," she said after the event. "I've had a sore throat and some tightness in my chest. And I've been wheezing because I have asthma."
LuAnn Krause, a nurse practitioner, is concerned about the effect the chemicals will have on children.
"Their bodies are forming, their blood cells are forming, their bone marrow is forming" she said. "And they're at risk for leukemia."
Watts said the group of attorneys and activists may plan similar events as early as next week to continue to inform the public.
Bob Bowcock, a water expert and hydrologist, warned the aftermath of the derailment won't go away any time soon.
"You're in a situation that you're going to be dealing with for the rest of your lives if you stay here," he said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Erin Brockovich gives advice to Ohio residents after train derailment
Since the derailment and controlled burn, many residents have reported a number of ailments and symptoms. The state of Ohio set up a makeshift clinic in East Palestine earlier this week in response to help facilitate some of the medical needs of residents. Watts advised them to get blood tests at a local center to make sure they weren't exposed to the dangerous chemicals released into the air.
Maps and graphics:The toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, explained
Lisa Fulton, who lives on Taggart Street right by the scene of the derailment, said she has felt some symptoms since the derailment occurred and wanted to find out more information about what her next steps should be.
"I saw the fire come right down the tracks," she said after the event. "I've had a sore throat and some tightness in my chest. And I've been wheezing because I have asthma."
LuAnn Krause, a nurse practitioner, is concerned about the effect the chemicals will have on children.
"Their bodies are forming, their blood cells are forming, their bone marrow is forming" she said. "And they're at risk for leukemia."
Watts said the group of attorneys and activists may plan similar events as early as next week to continue to inform the public.
Bob Bowcock, a water expert and hydrologist, warned the aftermath of the derailment won't go away any time soon.
"You're in a situation that you're going to be dealing with for the rest of your lives if you stay here," he said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Erin Brockovich gives advice to Ohio residents after train derailment
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