Received the following via email.
Residents Can Return Home After Houses Tested, Fire Chief Says
WILLARD,
Ohio - November 30, 2013 - 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).