WHITEWATER TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) – Due to the chemical leak near Cleves, sheriff’s deputies have been turning people away from State Route 128 at Cilley Road since early Tuesday afternoon.
Styrene was leaking from a train car with a broken valve. About a mile away, police evacuated a Kroger store and all homes between the store and the roadblock. Residents were told to either evacuate or seal their doors and windows and get to safety.
People trying to return home have faced obstacles regardless of their situation. Some residents are worried about their pets, while others are in urgent need of medical attention. A man whose son is diabetic was told to call 911 to get medication for his child.
Kristin Brown, who lives near the chemical leak, expressed her concerns.
“I tried to get back to the house. I have two dogs there and my husband doesn’t know how to get out. So I think we’re going to end up calling 911. I just want my family to be together tonight,” Brown said.
Joey Rycek, Brown’s son, shared his experiences.
“They never told us (at school), but they sent an email about why the kids were leaving,” Rycek said.
When asked if he was afraid, he replied: “Yes.”
Joe Miller, another resident, expressed his frustration with the entire incident.
“When this happened up north, people couldn’t be home for two to three months. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to live like this? These guys have no answers for me at all. They don’t know when I can go down there. They don’t know how dangerous this chemical is. They don’t know anything about it. So who are you supposed to call to get help? He told me to call 911. I call 911 to get answers; they don’t have no damn answers for me,” Miller said.
Rescue workers did everything they could to help the residents. A 911 operator sent an officer to pick up the little boy’s father, who was reunited with his son and wife a few minutes later. The father, visibly distraught and with burning eyes, just wanted to get away. Another officer was sent to pick up medication from the diabetic boy’s house. They also turned off an oven that still had ribs in it.
Despite their efforts, rescue workers have failed to give residents what they so desperately want: an answer to the question of how long they will have to leave their homes.
