The community of East Palestine, Ohio is still somewhat in shock after a terrifying train derailment turned into a toxic nightmare last week, alarming a great many locals.
The situation was, and still is, rather frightening, as several train cars’ worth of a dangerous chemical called vinyl chloride was purposefully lit ablaze in order to prevent a potential explosion.
The decision was a controversial one from the start, and now that locals are reporting strange and swift animal deaths in the vicinity of the derailment, concerns about the safety of the area are mounting.
Animals are falling sick and dying near the site of a hellish Ohio train derailment last Friday which released toxic chemicals into the air, according to reports — sparking fears of the potential health impacts the crash could have on humans.
Taylor Holzer, owner of a dairy farm just outside the evacuation zone in East Palestine, told WKBN several foxes he keeps on his property have become mortally ill.
“Out of nowhere, he just started coughing really hard, just shut down, and he had liquid diarrhea and just went very fast,” Holzer told the outlet of one of his animals.
Officials and locals don’t appear to be on the same page as it pertains to the danger, however.
Evironmental Protection Agency official James Justice said the agency has been conducting constant air-monitoring tests that did not show any toxic threats, and residents were told it was safe to return to their homes after a three-day mandatory evacuation this week.
But scattered reports of dead animals well outside the original evacuation zone continue to stoke fears.
“My video camera footage shows my chickens were perfectly fine before they started this burn, and as soon as they started the burn, my chickens slowed down and they died,” said Amanda Breshears of North Lima. “If it can do this to chickens in one night, imagine what it’s going to do to us in 20 years.”
Adding fuel to the conspiratorial fire, a reporter was detained last week as he was attempting to cover a press conference relating to the incident, leading many to wonder if there wasn’t some form of narrative control being undertaken.
