Residents affected by a toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, have expressed concern about the contractor hired by Norfolk Southern, CTEH, which has been accused of downplaying health risks and has been put in charge of allaying residents’ concerns about health risks and publicly presented a rosy assessment.
Residents in East Palestine, Ohio, were evacuated from their homes after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed and caught fire. Once allowed back, residents were offered free air testing by the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH) to ensure their homes were safe to live in. CTEH, which was hired by Norfolk Southern, the operator of the freight train, failed to detect dangerous levels of chemicals. CTEH has been repeatedly accused of downplaying health risks, and the company’s testing protocol, designed by CTEH rather than the Environmental Protection Agency, has been criticized. CTEH runs a hotline for residents to voice concerns about health issues rather than the government, further increasing concerns about its accountability.
Sources: https://www.propublica.org/article/east-palestine-ohio-norfolk-southern-cteh
