Following the derailment of a train that was carrying toxic chemicals, residents of East Palestine, Ohio are complaining of headaches, rashes and nausea even as officials say it's safe to return home.
Large chemical spills are highly toxic, and residents say they are feeling a disconnect between what they're being told and what they're experiencing. Some residents have even noticed fish and chickens dying in the area.
"This situation isn't a one-and-done deal, it's going to be potentially impacting those communities for decades to come," Mireille Bejjani, co-executive director of the environmental health nonprofit Slingshot, said on Greater Boston.
She said people are hungry for information that local officials and the media aren't always providing.
Dr. Dana Barr, a professor of environmental health at Emory University, said this will be a long-term problem. "It's really imperative that we have a long term follow-up of this. I think the government has a history of going in, trying to do a quick fix and I think this is going to require some long-term follow-up," she said.
The guests said transparency and accountability are crucial for frontline communities, especially as they are making decisions related to their health and their home.
Watch: Did local officials and the media fail East Palestine, OH after potentially toxic train derailment?
