‘We are sitting ducks:’ Ohio train derailment neighbor

(NewsNation) — The National Transportation Safety Board held what was supposed to be a two-day informational event for residents at a crowded East Palestine High School.

It has been more than 20 weeks since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, and officials released 116,000 gallons of toxic vinyl chloride into the community.

As it turned out, residents could not ask the questions they consider most critical.

The NTSB disallowed questions about water quality, the ever-increasing number of dead fish that keep popping up, their declining home values, or their kids’ unexplained nosebleeds.

Darlington, Pennsylvania resident Amanda Kemmer, who lives just miles from the East Palestine train derailment, joined “On Balance With Leland Vittert” to discuss persistent health and property concerns of area residents.

“Most of us are worried about the health effects and what these chemicals are doing to our bodies to our children’s bodies,” Kemmer said.

Kemmer said the National Institutes of Health told residents that they “can’t really detect these levels of chemicals in our bodies, but what they can do is detect cancer.”

Many residents claim they are still sick, diagnosed with the chemical in their systems.

“Basically we’re just sitting here waiting,” she said. “We’re sitting ducks waiting to see if we’re going to end up with cancer or … if our children are going to end up with cancer.”

Watch the full interview with Amanda Kemmer in the video player at the top of the page.