Received the following via email.
Willard Residents Allowed to Return Home
WILLARD, Ohio - November 28,
2013 - Fire Chief Joe Reiderman today lifted the evacuation and allowed most
residents to return to their homes following a derailment late Tuesday
night. Most residents were given the all-clear at 3:00 p.m. after
significant progress in clearing the CSX Transportation derailment, which
spilled approximately 13,000 gallons of styrene monomer, a flammable product
used in the production of plastics and rubber.
"On this Thanksgiving Day,
when we remember our blessings, it gives me great pleasure to tell our
neighbors that it's safe to return to their homes," Chief Reiderman said. "I
want to thank our community for its support and patience in this difficult
process."
Rusty Orben, director-public affairs for CSX, echoed Chief
Reiderman's praise. "All of us at CSX thank this community and its first
responders for their incredible patience and cooperation this week. CSX
pledges to continue to remain on site, helping people re-enter their homes
safely."
A small number of homes closest to the derailment and product
spill will remain off limits as the cleanup continues, Chief Reiderman said.
Those families will continue to be housed at area hotels and their lodging,
meals and other needs taken care of by CSX as they have been since the
derailment. CSX also offered residents air monitoring in their homes if they
had any concerns. Monitoring in the area has consistently showed the air to
be safe, despite a minor odor. However, precautions are being taken with the
homes closest to the immediate derailment site.
At the Willard High
School, which has also served as the Community Outreach Center, CSX provided
a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings from 1-4 p.m. City and CSX
representatives were available there to help residents get back to their
homes and to answer any questions.
Meanwhile, overnight operations
resulted in the re-railing of the four derailed rail cars, which will open
up the area for additional cleanup being done in coordination with the Ohio
Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. The rail cars derailed during switching operations, and a CSX
investigation is under way to determine the cause.
Clean-up work will
continue for the next several days, and the Community Outreach Center will
remain open at least through the weekend.
INFORMATION FOR RESIDENTS
1.
All residents except those residing on Pleasant Street in the City of Willard; 119, 121 and 209 North Main Street; and 119 Church Street are permitted to return to their homes at 3:00 p.m.
2. For those residents
still under the evacuation order on Pleasant Street, North Main Street and
Church Street please call 1-877-TELL-CSX to arrange for monitoring of your
home and additional needs.
3. A minor odor may still be present, but there is
not a threat to health and safety of residents.
4. Any resident who was
evacuated and would like to have their home monitored for air quality would
need to report to the Community Outreach Center at the Willard High School
to make arrangements.
5. Anyone who was evacuated who would prefer to stay
another night in a hotel would need to stop by the Community Outreach Center
to make arrangements or call 1-877-TELL-CSX for guidance.
6. Any resident
who has questions or concerns can stop by the Community Outreach Center to
speak directly with a CSX representative.