EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Doug Brayshaw was sitting on his porch when a massive plume of black smoke rose over the site of the Norfolk Southern train derailment like a scene out of a horror movie.
“It was like a storm, like a big storm was coming,” said Brayshaw, a truck driver who lives less than 3 miles from the site where Norfolk Southern chose to burn hazardous chemicals to avoid the risk of an explosion.
Since then, Brayshaw, 63, has fretted over whether his well water is safe. Some 15 days passed before officials finally arrived at his home Tuesday to test it, but he is going to have to wait even longer before he gets any answers.
He said he was told it could take up to 10 days for the results to come back.
“We’re afraid to shower,” said Brayshaw, who has been cooking with bottled water he picks up from an assistance center the rail company set up at a local church. “I won’t even give my dog drinking water out of my well right now because I’m worried.”
East Palestine residents have been on edge since the Feb. 3 derailment of a 150-car Norfolk Southern train. The company initiated the controlled burn of vinyl chloride from five rail cars on Feb. 6.
More than two weeks later, many East Palestine residents said they remain gripped by fear and anxiety despite assurances by government officials that the air and drinking water are safe.
Mothers have turned to social media in a desperate attempt to crowdsource tips on how to safeguard their homes. Some have described wiping everything in their homes down with dish soap, throwing out food that was open and hunting online for the best air purifiers, even though they know such measures might be futile.
“Mentally, I’m exhausted,” said Ashley Floor, 31, one of the women who have documented their struggles on a Facebook group for East Palestine residents.
In some cases, assistance provided by Norfolk Southern has raised more questions for residents. The company says it has distributed more…
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