EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — In a rare move, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is holding an investigative hearing in the field. The agency is looking into the factors leading up to and the response to the Feb. 3 derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio.
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“We made that decision for one simple reason. The people most affected by this derailment deserve as much insight as possible,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “Community members deserve to see not just how we’re investigating the derailment, but who is doing the work.”
On Feb. 3, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine. The derailment resulted in a significant fire and hazardous materials release. Since then, families and neighbors tell News 5 they’ve been frustrated by the lack of information and they worry about the short and long-term effects of the derailment on their health, the environment and the economy.
“I feel like people that might want to get out can’t get out. I feel that people are just afraid for their own safety,” said Adam Hudek, who lives near East Palestine and attended the first day of the NTSB hearing.
Some said they appreciated the gesture NTSB extended by holding the hearing locally instead of in Washington, DC.
“I’m happy to see them come through with that and not just do this across state lines and actually be rooted here where we’re having problems,” said Nathan Pirtz, who lives near East Palestine and works with environmentalist Erin Brockovich’s team East Palestine Justice.
Thursday marked the first day of a 2-day investigative hearing. Witness testimony, split into two panels, focused first on hazard communication and emergency responder preparedness and then on the circumstances that led to the decision to conduct a controlled burn of flammable chemicals inside damaged tanker cars.
“I don’t think you can ever really be prepared for something like this,” East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick told a panel of questioners.
Chief Drabick, who leads the all-volunteer fire department, explained the logistical challenges of a small regional dispatch center fielding the initial communication about the derailment and subsequent fires. He and other emergency responders expressed concern over training requirements for hazmat situations, especially for volunteer firefighters.
“It’s hard for those guys to go take classes during the day. Weekend, evening classes need to be offered. That’s not the norm, and that needs to change. Additional manpower, additional funding from the federal government needs to be given to support this application,” he said.
Emergency responders said they leaned on the guidance from experts in the days following the derailment. They defended their decision to vent and burn remaining hazardous material in damaged tanker cars as their last best resort option.
“All data resources and all of our combined experiences had us with a legitimate concern for polymerization,” said Drew McCarthy of Specialized Professional Services, Inc., explaining the rapidly heating material and pressure inside the cars could have caused a massive explosion.
NTSB members probed Norfolk Southern’s early response to the incident, laying out a timeline in which some emergency responders didn’t have access to information about the contents of the derailed train cars.
Friday, the investigative hearing will examine how safety measures functioned on the train and along its route.
The NTSB hopes information collected during the hearing, in addition to other investigations and studies, will illustrate what happened, what went wrong and how future disasters could be avoided.
Neighbors near East Palestine said the national spotlight on their community will send a message.
“We’re going to make sure that this town stays an amazing town and this community stays together through the ups and downs of this whole incident… that we’re here and we’re fighting for justice,” Hudek said.
Friday’s hearing is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the East Palestine High School gymnasium.
