One resident of East Palestine, Ohio, says she is still dealing with the fallout from the devastating train derailment in the town last month that resulted in the controlled release of toxic chemicals and thousands of animal deaths in the water and on land.
In a post Wednesday on Facebook, resident Zsuzsa Gyenes described how she is still living in a hotel over a month after the disaster and what she found when she stopped by her house located between “0.7-1.1 miles” from the derailment site.
“Today is March 8th 2023. I’m still living in a hotel. I just went into my house in East Palestine today. Over a MONTH later it still REEKS with the most sickening chemical smell I’ve ever experienced,” Gyenes wrote. “It’s almost getting worse. I can’t live there again, so I invite anyone who doesn’t believe me to come in and see what you think.”
In the post, Gyenes included photos of her outdoor walls, doors, porch floor and patio furniture that showed what appeared to be buildup of a strange powder-like substance and bubbles forming in the paint.
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“Also, my house is older but the paint on the door has never had bubbles on it like it does now. AND this definitely looks like some kind of muddy/dusty residue that’s getting worse outside on the porch.”
In the post, Gyenes said she had only been at her home for about 15 minutes and complained that her “chest, throat, and eyes hurt.”
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Gyenes added that a friend of hers who she said works with industrial paint and waste management informed her that the presence of chlorine would cause bubbles to form in the paint in that way.
A freight train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in the small town Feb. 3, spurring environmental and health concerns among residents there and nearby parts of Pennsylvania.
Residents have been voicing worries about the health risks after hazardous chemicals that the train was carrying were burned at the site, sending a plume of thick black smoke into the sky. Many have reported symptoms like nausea and dizziness despite state and local officials’ insistence that air and water levels remain safe.
The incident has made an unlikely team of Ohio senators J.D. Vance, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, who partnered with Pennsylvania’s two senators on legislation aimed at strengthening railway safety standards, which the White House has already signaled support for.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday evening it would be opening an investigation into the railway giant’s safety practices after a spate of five serious incidents since December 2021.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw appeared before Congress Thursday, apologizing for the disaster in East Palestine and promising his company will do better on safety.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this article.