On Feb. 6, 2023, officials in this Ohio town vented and burned five tank cars containing vinyl chloride after the Norfolk Southern train derailed just days before. The whistleblower, Robert Kroutill, claims the federal EPA “deviated from normal procedures” when testing for chemical contamination after the derailment, according to NewsNation.
Three days after the “controlled burn” of the tanker cars, the EPA gave the “all clear” for residents, who had been evacuated, to return to the area. Almost immediately, those residents began complaining of unexplained illnesses and rashes.
“I undressed to get into the shower, and I had a rash all over the side of my face on both sides, and all over my chest,” said East Palestine resident Katlyn Schwarzwaelder. A viral video showed Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance at a creek with dead fish visible in the water and an oily sheen visible on top of the water.
