Initially, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was not testing for dioxins in the environment after the East Palestine train derailment and vinyl chloride release.
“Dioxins are ubiquitous in the environment. They were here before the accident, they will be here after, and we don’t have baseline information in this area to do a proper test. But, we are talking to our toxicologist and looking into it,” said EPA Region 5 administrator Debra Shore.
Scientist Stephen Lester said the EPA provided a “lame excuse.”
WKBN reported:
Dioxins refer to a group of toxic chemical compounds. Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, damage to the immune system, and can interfere with hormones.
“I think they’re reluctant to test, because they know they will find it, and they will be put in a place where they have to address it,”…