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Norfolk Southern representatives attend public meeting in East Palestine

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Posted at 11:33 AM, Mar 02, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-02 21:02:34-05

Officials with Norfolk Southern will attend a public meeting Thursday night to speak with residents about the company's response to the Feb. 3 train derailment.

The meeting will be held from 6 to 7:30 in the auditorium of the East Palestine High School, 360 W. Grant St.

You can watch a replay of the public meeting in the player below:

The company said its representatives will be there to answer the town's environmental questions.

The derailment

Dozens of cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in a fiery crash on Feb. 3 in East Palestine. 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 Feb. 8 that it was safe to return home.

The National Transportation Safety Board has since 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 more about the East Palestine train derailment.

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