Knoch grads return to evacuation zone, develop health issues
Knoch graduates Hayley Heckert and her fiancé, Steven Gieraltowski, live just a few blocks from where a freight train carrying toxic chemicals derailed Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio.
Nine days after being evacuated from their home, the couple returned Sunday to skin rashes, headaches, sick pets and financial woes.
“They told us it was safe,” Heckert said. “It doesn’t feel safe.”
The evacuation order was lifted Feb. 8, five days after the derailment. Initial concerns over the toxic burning of vinyl chloride in five of the train cars subsided after East Palestine authorities and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that air inside and outside the evacuation zone had returned to normal levels.
The first thing that struck them after returning home was the smell.
“It’s like you sprayed a paint can in the bathroom with no fan,” Heckert said. The smell permeated everything, they said.
Both Heckert and Gieraltowski have had headaches over the last few days, and Heckert said she has broken out with a rash. She said they both feel unwell.
“It’s just this feeling of weakness,” Heckert said, “like something’s not right.”
Their dog, Scrappy, has been vomiting the last few nights, according to Heckert. Evo, their cat, has become lethargic.
Her fiancé’s place of work in the village, Velez Engines, remains closed. Heckert said she has continued working as a certified nursing assistant, but the financial and emotional strain has been taking its toll.
A co-worker started a GoFundMe account for the couple. To donate, go to GoFundMe.com.
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