Months after the train derailment, many residents are still sick and concerned about long-term exposure to toxic chemicals. A group called HelpEastPalestineOhio.org aims to supply homes and small businesses within the affected area with free, medical grade air purifiers.
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio, Aug. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A group called "HelpEastPalestineOhio.org" has created a fundraising campaign to provide medical-grade air purifiers to 2,500 homes and businesses in and around the disaster area where a train derailed on February 3, spilling more than a million pounds of hazardous chemicals that were ignited by authorities. For several days, a toxic plume blackened the skies of East Palestine and neighboring towns, contaminating the air, soil, and water, and continues to sicken many residents today.
HelpEastPalestineOhio.org aims to supply homes and businesses within the affected area with free air purifiers. The First Church of Christ in East Palestine, which has served the community as a hub for disaster relief, has partnered with Germ Solutions USA, a provider of air purification systems that is headquartered near the disaster zone, to raise the needed funds. 100% of donated funds will go towards this effort, and Germ Solutions USA will match donations: for every unit given through donations, a second unit will be given at no cost. There are already over 500 families on the waiting list.
Months after the disaster, many residents of East Palestine are still experiencing symptoms including respiratory illness, nosebleeds, rashes, eye infections, and anxiety over potential long-term exposure to toxins. According to media reports, recent independent testing showed levels of dioxins in the soil to be between 27,000-164,000% higher than normal. In March, a team of 15 doctors and epidemiologists with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began surveying residents but had to withdraw on the first day after seven of its members developed suspicious symptoms, according to reports.
"People in East Palestine have a legitimate reason to be concerned about how the toxic chemicals they are being exposed to will affect them in the years to come," said Rick Vickroy, regional director of Germ Solutions USA. "Consider what happened in lower Manhattan after September 11 - more people died of cancer from long term exposure to toxic chemicals than died in the attack. These air purifiers will go a long way towards giving residents peace of mind that the air and surfaces in their homes and businesses are as contaminant-free as possible."
"This disaster has upended our community: residents are leaving, businesses are suffering, and parents with young children are anxious about their health," said Bob Helbeck, pastor of The First Church of Christ East Palestine. "Providing a home or business with an air purifier will give peace of mind; everyone will feel much safer. We are hopeful that by providing more air purifiers, we will see fewer illnesses and more people will feel comfortable staying in our community."
Since the disaster, the church has already distributed nearly 500 hundred Beyond Guardian Air Generation II (BGA Gen II) air purifiers to homes and small businesses in the affected area, including 160 units, donated by Germ Solutions USA, that were placed in every classroom and common area in the East Palestine elementary, junior high and high schools. The BGA Gen II employs the same technology as FDA Class 2 purification systems currently used in hospitals and reduces 99.9% of contaminants in the air and on surfaces.
HelpEastPalestineOhio.org has also published a video containing footage of the disaster and interviews with residents as well as organizers. For more information and to donate any amount, please visit HelpEastPalestineOhio.org
Media Contact
Chris Roslan, Roslan & Associates Public Relations, 1 9175385629, chris@rc-pr.com
SOURCE HelpEastPalestineOhio.org
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