


Washington Examiner National Political Reporter Salena Zito said Ohioans in East Palestine affected by the toxic train derailment are feeling "vulnerable" because they feel they are not getting the help they need.
"East Palestine is very near and dear to my heart," Zito told Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer on Friday. "It's a very sweet town. It's a town that hasn't changed much in over 100 years, and the people that live there feel very vulnerable."
OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT: HUGO GURDON BLASTS GOVERNMENT RESPONNSE AS 'LAMENTABLE'
The Feb. 3 derailment saw a train carrying 20 cars of hazardous materials derail, causing environmental and safety concerns to the surrounding area.
The residents of East Palestine do not feel they are getting the help they need, according to Zito.
"Remember, these are people that have had to stay in hotels. They have to go as far away as Pittsburgh, about 60 miles away," she said. "That comes out of their pocketbook. It has disrupted their lives. It's disrupted business there, not only small business, the local retail shops, struggling to be open, struggling to get customers, but also the manufacturing that's done there. There's a lot of ceramics that are done there. There's a lot of things that are made in that town."
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Residents are not only uncomfortable in their own homes. They are unable to make money, Zito said.
"What happens when the cameras go away? What happens when the attention is gone? They fear that East Palestine is changed forever," she said. "No one is going to be able to buy a home or sell their home because its always going to be that town that was contaminated."
"I think they believe that the problems they are having right now are just the beginning of the problems going towards the future."