Questions remain a week after Whitewater Township residents evacuated their homes due to a chemical leak. Police estimate nearly 100 people attended a joint meeting of the Whitewater and Miami Township boards of trustees Tuesday night.
Representatives from Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency, Hamilton County Public Health, the Central Railroad of Indiana, Whitewater Township Fire Department, Three Rivers School District, the Village of Cleves, Whitewater Township and Miami Township met at the Whitewater Township Community Center to provide residents information.
Representatives of INEOS, the plastic manufacturing company that leased the train car leaking the hazardous chemical styrene, were invited but did not attend.
RELATED: Cause of chemical leak identified
Safety remained the focus of officials’ presentations. Hamilton County Public Health commissioner Greg Kesterman confirmed results of air and water quality sampling showed low to no levels of styrene following the leak.
Styrene is used to make plastic, and it appears in household items like food containers, tires and building insulation.
The chemical evaporates quickly, according to the National Institutes of Health's chemical database.
It presents immediate health risks for people who inhale it, including headaches, nausea and irritation to eyes, nose, throat and lungs.
Cleves resident George Willoughby says he was sitting on his porch when the nearby train car started venting styrene. He says he didn't know the leak was happening, but when he stood up to go inside, he passed out.
"I was scared that there was something wrong with me, so I didn't feel good the rest of the day," Willoughby said. "The next day, I went and got checked out, and they checked all of my medical records and everything. They said that maybe I'd inhaled something, or maybe I'd ingested something causing me to blackout."
At the doctor, Willoughby had chest X-rays, blood tests and an EKG test done. He says he called the Central Railroad of Indiana hotline to request compensation for the medical treatment he sought after being exposed to styrene. He says he hadn't heard back from the company as of Tuesday night.
RELATED: Evacuation order lifted in Whitewater Township
The train carrying styrene through Whitewater Township sat in a rail yard owned by the Central Railroad of Indiana for about a week, according to representatives. It started leaking the chemical after an additive stabilizer stopped working.
The tanker was headed to the INEOS facility in nearby Addyston, but the company’s yard was full.
A representative of the railroad said they have notified INEOS that the company can no longer store cars on the railroad, they have to go to the facility immediately.
Residents can contact the Central Railroad of Indiana for financial help at 1-800-757-7387. They can also contact Hamilton County Public Health for well water testing at 513-946-7966. General resources are available by calling 211.