Beaver County residents express frustrations over derailment at Senate hearing: 'We matter'
CENTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - Dozens of people attended a Senate committee hearing in Beaver County on the Ohio train derailment.
Some Beaver County residents in attendance told KDKA-TV they've been living in fear, and they just want answers.
Sen. Doug Mastriano is the chairman of the committee. He said they had the hearing in Beaver County instead of Harrisburg so senators could hear directly from people impacted by the derailment's aftermath.
Senators started off the hearing by explaining how they're looking for the facts about the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border on Feb. 3.
The Senate committee gathered testimony from a wide variety of people to look into the emergency response, including the controlled burn of toxic chemicals after the train derailed.
Multiple residents shared emotional testimonies with the committee about how they are still concerned about what's in their air, soil and water.
KDKA-TV exclusively interviewed Mastriano before the hearing. Mastriano said this is a case where Democrats and Republicans can come together to help people.
"I want to find out what happened, what we did right, what we did wrong, how can we make it better in the future but how do we get aid for people suffering right now?" said Mastriano.
Several Darlington Township, Beaver County residents told KDKA-TV the aftermath has negatively affected their lives, from their health to living with a lot of unknowns.
"Personally, I've had bad headaches and I've had a cough and stuff, but my impact is my nine grandkids that I don't know what the future is for them and we are not getting any answers as to what to do for them, how to prepare them. I'd just like to know the science behind this stuff," said Kim Nalesnik, a lifelong Darlington Township resident. "I'm just so sick and tired of not knowing, not being represented as people. We matter!" she added.
Residents said they're sad and angry as they feel like they're being left in the dark, especially if they live outside the one-mile evacuation zone.
"Nobody wants to give us any answers. We're afraid to drink our water, we're afraid for our soil, for our children, for our grandchildren, our animals," said Lori O'Connell, another Darlington Township resident.
"We live quiet, humble lives. We can't live that now. We live in fear. So we want answers," O'Connell said.
Members of Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration, local emergency agencies involved in the response, the American Lung Association and a legal panel were also slated to testify Thursday.
Norfolk Southern representatives were asked to testify as well.
Mastriano told KDKA-TV's Jessica Guay that he was disappointed because the president and CEO of Norfolk Southern, Alan Shaw, did not attend.
Mastriano said that they'll have to do a vote in Harrisburg next week and try to issue a subpoena.