let us start in ohio. 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride was released into the air, following the derailment of the northern suffolk train two weeks ago, a chemical that can cause dna mutations and lead to long-term cancers, according to a lawsuit that s alleging all of that, and it is a big reason why residents of east palestine ohio say they don t believe officials who are telling them it s safe to go home, safe to breathe, safe to drink the water. the epa administrator was there yesterday. the governor was out there today. it s okay, they say, we ve tested the air. we ve tested the water. still, residents are complaining about burning in their lungs and their eyes. and unusual rashes. they re worried about their kids. can they bathe them in their bathtub. can they use the tap to mix formula for their babies. the federal government is setting medical teams to both examine residents and assess what dangers could still exist, an acknowledgment that the aftermath of this der
what dangers could still exist, an acknowledgment that the aftermath of this derailment has been physically and emotionally overwhelming for the small town. just listen to the mayor of east palestine, two days ago. i need help. i m not ready for this. i wasn t built for this. i thought of myself as a leader of men, and i have the village on my back, and i ll do whatever it takes, whatever it takes. the mayor joins me in a moment. let s go to a reporter on the ground first. nbc news correspondent, george solis is in east palestine. george, off lot of residents who say they don t entirely believe that it is safe to go home. you also have a lot of residents who say they can t afford to leave. talk to me about what you re hearing and the hard place that these folks find themselves in. yeah, good afternoon, katy, a
now, we have no actually evidence of what happened. so. are you confident in the air and the water, i know a lot of residents are saying that their eyes are burning, their throats are burning, they re talking about unusual rashes. can you say confidently that it is safe right now? as far as the municipal drinking water, and only the municipal drinking water, yes, i m 100% confident it is safe. i trust the people, our own in-house technicians that take care of the water, and i know for a fact they wouldn t put me or my family s house or any of our residents in jeopardy. yes, there s definitely contamination in the cricks and streams. there s definitely dead fish, definitely chemicals in those, and the private wells, people need to, you know, definitely get them checked now and in the future. like i said, i don t think we ll see the true effects of this for a while, but as of the air, there s definitely a smell in the air. it can sort of take your breath away at times if you re right
let us start in ohio. 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride was released into the air, following the derailment of the northern suffolk train two weeks ago, a chemical that can cause dna mutations and lead to long-term cancers, according to a lawsuit that s alleging all of that, and it is a big reason why residents of east palestine ohio say they don t believe officials who are telling them it s safe to go home, safe to breathe, safe to drink the water. the epa administrator was there yesterday. the governor was out there today. it s okay, they say, we ve tested the air. we ve tested the water. still, residents are complaining about burning in their lungs and their eyes. and unusual rashes. they re worried about their kids. can they bathe them in their bathtub. can they use the tap to mix formula for their babies. the federal government is setting medical teams to both examine residents and assess
lot of residents understandably frustrated, feeling they ve received a lot of mixed messaging in the last several days, especially when it comes to the quality of the water. governor mike dewine saying we have done the testing and retesting, assuring residents that their water and air are safe. a lot of people are saying they aren t buying it. they re feeling sick, feeling the irritation in their eyes and throats. the governor saying we may not be eligible for fema assistance but we are filing paperwork, so should that change, we have that documented. we re using health and human services and the cdc. they want to open up collins, so people can be checked if they are feeling sick. we don t want to down play symptoms or concerns. sound from someone in the community who says they are frustrated and they just want answers, take a listen. a lot of people say it s not so much the short-term, which is a problem.