NTSB sets June 21 meeting for East Palestine residents ahead of investigatory hearing
The National Transportation Safety Board will hold community meeting in East Palestine on June 21 for residents to ask about its investigative process in advance of a two-day hearing on the Feb. 3 East Palestine derailment.
The hearing, set for June 22, is open for public observance only, the board announced Wednesday. Both will be held at East Palestine High School.
Confusion, bravery and awe: What really happened after a train derailed in East Palestine
About 50 cars of a 150-car Norfolf Southern train derailed around 9 p.m. Feb. 3 in East Palestine, about a quarter-mile west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line, leading to an evacuation, environmental and health questions and calls for changes to federal law.
Twenty cars contained hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol, ethylhexyl acrylate, butyl acrylate and isobutylene, the United States EPA has said, with some cars catching fire and others spilling their loads into an adjacent ditch.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy will lead the June 21 meeting from 6 to 8 p.m., which is an in-person only event for residents of East Palestine and surrounding areas.
The NTSB is an independent federal agency charged with conducting an investigation to determine the probable cause of the derailment. The board also will issue any safety recommendations necessary to prevent future derailments.
While this is an open meeting, the agency will not discuss issues that fall outside its authority, including air monitoring, testing of water quality, environmental remediation or evacuation orders, the NTSB said.
Questions on environmental issues should be addressed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ohio EPA, or Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
A list of topics that can and cannot be addressed can be found at the NTSB website announcing the event. Security protocols for those who wish to attend are also listed on the website.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: NTSB sets community meeting in East Palestine ahead of hearing
