Environmental advocate Erin Brockovich will attend a town hall meeting in East Palestine, Ohio Friday evening to talk with residents about ongoing issues they're facing following the train derailment that happened on Feb. 3.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the East Palestine High School, 360 W. Grant St. You can watch it live in the player below:
Anyone who wants to attend the town hall in person can register by CLICKING HERE.
READ MORE: NTSB: Crew tried to stop derailing train after receiving overheating alert near East Palestine
Brockovich and her team of attorneys are advocating for the residents of the community to "to ensure that Norfolk Southern is held accountable for causing known carcinogens and other highly toxic and harmful chemicals to be released into the environment in and around East Palestine, ultimately contaminating the air, water, and soil."
The derailment
About 50 cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in a fiery crash Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. Vinyl chloride was later released into the air from five of those cars before crews ignited it to get rid of the highly flammable, toxic chemicals in a controlled environment, creating a dark plume of smoke.
Residents from nearby neighborhoods in Ohio and Pennsylvania were evacuated because of health risks from the fumes, but were told on Wednesday, Feb. 8 that it was safe to return home.
On Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board released its initial report on the derailment, stating the train crew tried to stop the train in East Palestine when they received an alert about one of the car's wheel bearings overheating to a critical temperature of over 250 degrees above the ambient temperature.
CLICK HERE to read News 5's continuing coverage of the East Palestine train derailment.
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