By STEPHANIE ELVERD

EAST PALESTINE – With concerns about the quality of the air and water in East Palestine still weighing heavily on the minds of East Palestine residents following the Norfolk Southern train derailment, the Way Station did its part to try to alleviate some of that worry by distributing air purifiers and water filters on Saturday.

“People are still concerned about air and water safety so I think the air purifiers and water filters were the big things today,” Way Station executive director Chaney Nezbeth said. “There has been a lot of anxiety and people are hurting but today everything has been pretty positive and everybody has been grateful to get the air purifiers.”

Molekule, an air filtration company based in Florida, donated 350 small-room air purifiers to hand out while 200 Brita countertop water filters were also provided to East Palestine residents.

“We’ve been very blessed with so many people wanting to help,” Nezbeth said. “People have been generous and we are very grateful for every donation we have received and are blessed to be in a position to help people through this crisis.”

Along with the air purifiers and water filters, the nonprofit provided residents with iVizia Eye Drops, gel and cleansing wipes, as well as True Carbon Cleanse vitamin detox supplements and NasoClenz nose cleansing swabs.

Anxiety has been high since the train carrying hazardous materials derailed in the village on Feb. 3 causing a chemical spill and fire. The decision by officials to complete a controlled burn of vinyl chloride at the derailment site to prevent the catastrophic failure of the tanker cars has only heightened fear and trepidation for residents.

The Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Board has been on the frontlines in East Palestine since the disaster, helping people cope with the worry and a wide range of emotions. On Saturday, Lori Colian Director of Treatment Services was at the Way Station to reach out to those who are experiencing stress and trauma in wake of the derailment.

“We are seeing a gamut of anything from anger to depression to ambivalence,” she said. “We really are just trying to provide everybody with information about resources for mental health so if they need somebody to talk to we can get them connected and help people get what they need.”

While worries about physical health are most-talked about, those worries will have a residual effect on mental health – now and down the road.

“Right now, everyone is still concerned with their physical health. I think later on we are going to see more psychological effects,” she said. “The crisis has already taken a toll. Every person that has come in here today has said something about anxiety.”

Lisa Toner, who lives within the one-mile zone of the derailment site and was forced to leave her house under the initial mandatory evacuation orders, said the stress has been crushing.

“The anxiety is the worst part of all this,” she said. “It’s the not knowing and the different answers to the same questions and sometimes no answers at all. It’s been hell. What more can I say?”

Toner returned to her home after the area was declared safe. She has heard from state and federal officials that she has nothing to worry about. Norfolk Southern insists the air and water are clean, but Toner isn’t convinced. As of Thursday, the Ohio EPA reports that 616 indoor air home re-entry screenings have been conducted and Norfolk Southern reports tests have been completed on 200 private water wells. Toner said neither her residential water nor air has been tested.

“We have made four or five calls to (the hotline) and we haven’t heard anything back,” she said. “We have well water and no one has come to test it. No one has tested the air in our house. Nothing.”

Toner has taken matters into her own hands. She paid to have her home steamed cleaned by professionals, but it is a price she is willing to pay. Some expenses have been too costly. The derailment has cost her time with her family.

“We just had Stanley Steamer clean the whole inside of our house because we don’t know what else to do. We paid to have the whole thing cleaned … carpets, furniture, the whole bit,” she said. “I have a granddaughter who was diagnosed with cancer at the age 12. She’s now 14 and they don’t come to my house anymore because of this. We don’t know if it’s safe.”

(selverd@mojonews.com)