E.P.A. Orders Train Operator to Test for Dioxins in Ohio Derailment

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday that it had instructed the operator of the freight train that derailed near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line to test for dioxins, toxic pollutants that could have formed after officials decided to burn the train’s cargo of vinyl chloride in order to avert the threat of an explosion.

The increased testing mandate came ahead of a meeting at East Palestine High School on Thursday evening that was expected to be the largest public confrontation yet between the community and officials from Norfolk Southern, the train operator, nearly one month after the derailment on Feb. 3.

The discontent with both the rail company and government agencies was evident just minutes into the meeting.

“Why did you wait so long?” one man yelled out as Debra Shore, the E.P.A. regional administrator, explained the February order and the requirement to test for dioxins. As the director of the Ohio E.P.A., Anne M. Vogel, reiterated that testing of the water had yet to show high levels of contaminants, another woman yelled out: “What about private wells? We’ll just stay here and die.”

As introductions and statements dragged on, the crowd grew increasingly belligerent and demanded an opportunity to ask questions about their lingering ailments.

And as E.P.A. officials reiterated that dioxin testing had begun, people yelled out, “Start now!” and “It’s too late!”

Ms. Shore also said the agency was working to approve a plan that would remove the railroad tracks, as well as the contaminated soil underneath. And she acknowledged that the derailment had upended homes that had been there for generations, pledging that her agency and others were committed to the recovery effort.

“We owe it to everyone, to everyone affected by the Norfolk Southern train derailment, to ensure that you continue to build those roots, that future generations can continue to proudly call this area home,” she said. “That is what E.P.A. is working toward. And we will not be leaving until you are satisfied.”

Dioxins take a while to break down, so they could pose a long-term threat. According to the E.P.A., they can cause cancer, interfere with hormones and cause damage to reproductive and immune systems. While these toxic pollutants are already present in many environments — they can be byproducts of burning fuel, among other things — the E.P.A. has been working for decades to reduce their production.

Last month, the E.P.A. issued an order that not only demanded that Norfolk Southern pay for all cleanup associated with the disaster, but also required the company to “attend and participate in public meetings at E.P.A.’s request” — including the meeting on Thursday.

Norfolk Southern has faced the largest barrage of demands and intensifying scrutiny from lawmakers and officials who are furious over not only the derailment, but also the consequences of the decision to burn off some of the toxic chemicals carried by the train. Company officials at the time said it was a necessary decision, given the threat of a deadly explosion.

Local officials thought they had a meeting set up last month with representatives from Norfolk Southern, but the company abruptly backed out, citing unspecified fears about the safety of their employees.

While the company’s chief executive, Alan H. Shaw, separately made a trip to meet with local officials and some railroad employees last month, Thursday’s meeting also offered several of the town’s residents the opportunity to publicly confront Norfolk Southern officials.

Candice Desanzo, 43, who came to the meeting with her sons, said she was worried about their health and determined to speak to Mr. Shaw directly.

“If I did somebody wrong, I’m going to stand up and I’m going to face my wrongs,” she said. “And I’m just one simple human being — they’re a corporation.”

Like other residents, she expressed frustration with the race to ensure that trains were back to running through the town as soon as the evacuation order had been lifted.

“Every time I hear a train, it makes me sick now,” she said. “It’s just mind-blowing to me how really ignorant they’ve been to us in every possible way that they could when they should be doing everything that they possibly can to help us.”

Mr. Shaw is also set to testify before a key Senate committee next week as lawmakers and state officials demand more information about what led to the derailment and the possible long-term effects on the region’s environment and public health.

“You’re going to determine the finish line — you’re going to determine when it’s made right,” said Representative Bill Johnson, Republican of Ohio, who pledged a separate House hearing on the environmental response, along with a field hearing in the region.

President Biden, speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday after meeting with Senate Democrats, said that he “would be out there at some point” when asked if he would visit Ohio. He also confirmed that he would support legislation championed by the state’s two senators — Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, and J.D. Vance, a Republican — and other lawmakers that would toughen railway safety regulations.

Both residents and rail workers have focused their concerns on the possibility of harmful exposure to the train’s cargo, which included vinyl chloride, a flammable gas, and any other chemicals that seeped into the community. In the days after the derailment, residents complained about migraines, rashes and a persisting chemical odor, even as preliminary data from government officials did not show significant levels of vinyl chloride or other dangerous chemicals.

On Wednesday, Jonathon Long, the chairman of the union branch that represents Norfolk Southern employees, including those helping clean up the site of the derailment, wrote to Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio condemning the railroad company and its treatment of its workers. He said that he had been told that some of the workers were not given appropriate protective gear to wear, despite the threat of possible exposure, and that others had continued to complain about migraines and nausea days after the derailment.

A spokesperson for the railroad company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday but previously told CNBC that the company had “coordinated our response with hazardous material professionals who were on site continuously to ensure the work area was safe to enter,” along with using required protective equipment.

As of Thursday, about 2.1 million gallons of wastewater and 1,400 tons of solid waste have been hauled away from the site of the derailment, according to data provided by Mr. DeWine’s office. Out of tests done on 151 private well systems, 57 samples have been verified and do not show worrisome contaminant levels, matching similar results from the municipal water systems.

Lisa Friedman contributed reporting.