Ohio lieutenant governor to East Palestine residents: ‘If you feel unsafe, you should drink bottled water’
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted (R) recommended on Thursday advised East Palestine residents to drink bottled water if they are uncomfortable drinking the tap water.
“If you feel unsafe, you should drink bottled water,” Husted said on “CNN This Morning.” “I was there, talked with the mayor, the fire chief, the police chief, all the first responders who are right there on the scene. The fire station is literally within within a stone’s throw of the railroad itself. And they were concerned about misinformation about their water.”
Husted said he and other state officials drank tap water to show that it is safe, but that people should do what makes them feel “comfortable.”
“Anytime you feel unsafe or uncertain about what’s going on there, then I encourage people to do what makes you feel comfortable,” he continued. “Drink bottled water if that’s what you want to do.”
State and federal officials, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, visited the homes of East Palestine residents to show residents that their water is safe to drink, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Residents have raised health and environmental concerns in the weeks following the Feb. 3 train derailment, which spilled toxic chemicals in the area.
Ohio state officials said in a press release on Wednesday that the municipal water is safe to drink and that there were no contaminants found in air quality testing. The release stated that those with private wells should drink bottled water until their test results are returned.
CNN held a town hall on Wednesday night to give East Palestine residents the opportunity to ask Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw questions about the company’s response to the derailment. Residents raised concerns with about health, with some saying that they have developed rashes and a cough since the derailment.
One of the residents who spoke at the town hall, Jim Stewart, said that he is worried about the soil and the air quality in the area.
“My grandchildren can’t play in the backyard now. What are we supposed to do? Every day when trains go by, it’s blowing up the smoke and dirt and everything,” he said Thursday on “CNN This Morning.”
The Ohio Department of Health opened a health clinic in East Palestine on Tuesday to give medical evaluations to residents impacted by the derailment. A press release published on Wednesday said that in addition to receiving medical exams, residents can also consult a mental health specialist and a toxicologist.