(NewsNation) — People in East Palestine, Ohio, want testing of their homes for toxic chemical exposure, but they say the Environmental Protection Agency won’t do it.
Independent testing has shown the presence of cancer-causing chemical vinyl chloride in the home of resident Krissy Hylton.
“It’s hard each day. We still don’t know where we’re going to live,” Hylton said Tuesday on “CUOMO.”
Her family of six was displaced after the Feb. 3 train derailment that spilled toxic chemicals into the air and ground. Now, they may have no other choice but to move back into the home they aren’t sure is safe.
“We can’t afford to take on a mortgage when our home is paid for. They’re now discussing trying to move us back in after cleaning, after all the damage, all the contamination,” she said.
The EPA has stated multiple times that their testing shows the air is safe to breathe and the water safe to drink.
Residents aren’t convinced.
Many have reported lingering health problems that began after the derailment, telling NewsNation that doctors have been unable to definitely diagnose the source of their ailments.
Independent testing expert Scott Smith has conducted several tests inside homes in East Palestine, which he says shows the air isn’t safe.
“Dioxins can combine with vinyl chloride at low levels. They combine in a way in the human body that create toxicity,” Smith said. “There are no standards for how these chemicals combine. The EPA repeatedly cites a singular exposure to a singular chemical … totally disingenuous.”
The EPA recently announced a new “work plan” for East Palestine, which for the first time since the derailment broadens the scope of possible contamination.