Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said Wednesday that water in East Palestine’s municipal system is safe to drink, nearly two weeks after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in the area.
Driving the news: The train’s derailment caused a fire and raised concerns about toxic fumes and water contamination from spilled materials.
- The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is “confident that the municipal water is safe to drink” after the latest water testing results showed “no detection of contaminants,” DeWine tweeted Wednesday.
The big picture: Hundreds of residents were ordered to evacuate their homes beginning on Feb. 5 as local, state and federal emergency crews descended on the town of about 4,800 people near the Pennsylvania border.
- The state conducted a controlled release of toxic chemicals from five train cars on Feb. 6.
- DeWine has said he holds Norfolk Southern Railway, the train’s operator, responsible for the derailment, which is believed to have been caused by a mechanical issue with a car’s axle.
- No one was injured, the National Transportation Safety Board reported.
- Norfolk Southern has committed to paying for the clean-up effort, according to DeWine.
Go deeper: What we know about the Ohio train derailment
