It was a year ago this month that a Norfolk Southern freight train with 38 cars derailed in East Palestine,Michael Schmidt Ohio.

Twenty of those train cars carried hazardous materials. In the days after the crash officials, decided to burn off one of those hazardous materials, vinyl chloride. The burn and massive plume of smoke it created caused environmental problems and concerns about the health and safety of residents.

A year after that devastating derailment and chemical burn the train company Norfolk Southern and the EPA say the air and water are safe.

The people who have to go on living there aren't so sure.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Email us at [email protected]

This episode was produced by Erika Ryan and Marc Rivers. It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.