Residents Can Return Home, Fire Chief Says

WILLARD, Ohio, Nov. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Fire Chief Joe Reiderman has informed residents living closest to the CSX Transportation train derailment site that they can return to their homes.  Almost all of the residents have, in fact, already returned after having their homes checked by environmental experts at the strong urging of the Fire Chief.  

"We are testing out of an abundance of caution," said Chief Reiderman, noting that any remaining residents who need to have their homes checked can call the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH) toll free at 1-888-959-8351 to schedule the testing. Monitoring, which has been in place since shortly after the derailment, has consistently showed the air to be safe.

The residents cleared today were among those evacuated following a derailment Tuesday night in which about 13,000 gallons of styrene monomer, a flammable product used to produce plastics and rubber, were released. Most people were cleared to return home on Thursday. 

As cleanup of the site progressed, CSX opened an Outreach Center to compensate displaced residents for financial loss. The center opened at 8 a.m. today, and more than 600 people came through. During the evacuation, many of the residents were lodged in area motels with meals and other needs met by CSX.

The Outreach Center, located at the Christian Alliance Church at 1609 Conwell Avenue, is open daily as long as a need exists. Residents should bring identification (driver's license or government ID) and proof of residency (current utility, bank or tax bill, etc.). For more information about the Outreach Center, residents should call 1-877-TellCSX (1-877-835-5279).

SOURCE CSX Transportation