Ohio Residents Push for Answers About Health Concerns After Train Derailment Transcript

Now, to new details on the toxic train derailment in Eastern Ohio where fear and outrage is growing. CBS News has learned employees at the Norfolk Southern say they had expressed concerns about the train that crashed, suggesting it could be too long and heavy. Anger boiled over at a town hall meeting last night as locals complained of health concerns since the accident. Roxana Saberi is in New Waterford, Ohio. Roxana, good morning.

Good morning, Nate. Authorities lifted evacuation orders in East Palestine last Wednesday, just five days after the accident. Since then, many people in this area have told me they’ve started coughing and getting rashes, that fish are dying, and pets are getting sick. It’s clear they want answers.

Everybody that came here expected a hell of a lot more than what we’re getting right now.

Outrage poured over at a town hall in East Palestine last night as anxious residents grilled state and local officials.

Is everybody satisfied with my answer?

No.

Not present, rail operator Norfolk Southern.

I don’t trust Norfolk.

CBS News has learned that some of the company’s employees had previously expressed concern over the excessive size and weight of the 151 car train, which was 9,300 feet long and weighed 18,000 tons. They say it had suffered at least one breakdown on its route before it derailed in East Palestine. Despite the numerous toxic chemicals released, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine now says tests on five steel and case town wells show its safe to drink their water, and health officials say the air quality is back to pre-accident levels. But resident Melissa Blake says, two days after the derailment, doctors diagnosed her with acute bronchitis from chemical fumes.

They quarantined me. They gave me a breathing treatment. They had to put me on oxygen. They were going to wash my clothes because they didn’t know what was on me.

One of the chemicals on the train, vinyl chloride, is classified as a carcinogen, and there were other chemicals as well.

We don’t know what is a safe concentration in the air, in the soil, and the water of any of these compounds.

CBS News medical contributor and oncologist, Dr. David Agus says the long-term health effects of industrial chemicals on people are not well studied.

And so when this happened, there wasn’t a playbook of, we can do X and y if this spills. They’re developing the playbook as we speak.

What’s your biggest worry?

That it’s never going to go away. It’s going to get worse.

In response to claims that the train was too long and heavy, Norfolk Southern tells CBS News, the weight was “uniform throughout with features to reduce mechanical issues.” It also says a longer and heavier train used to run the route. Gayle.

Boy, Roxana, that’s very scary. That woman you talked to is just saying out loud what a lot of people are afraid of, and thinking. Thank you.