EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — As health concerns continue for residents impacted by the toxic Ohio train derailment, Gov. Mike DeWine says the state is planning to formally open a permanent clinic in East Palestine very soon.
“We wanted to set up a permanent clinic for the people of the community so that anybody now can go in and get a baseline,” Gov. DeWine told 3News’ Christi Paul early Tuesday in a one-on-one interview at WKYC Studios in Cleveland.
Gov. DeWine said they're working with a local hospital to get the clinic opened "within the next few days."
“Many times people say, ‘I don’t have any symptoms. But what I worry about is five years from now, 10 years from now. Am I going to get cancer? Is this going to evolve?’”
This comes after a temporary clinic previously opened in a local church.
“The fire chief told me we have 300 people, first responders, who responded that night from all over -- some coming in from Pennsylvania, some coming in from other departments," Gov. DeWine continued. "What the fire chief wants is for everyone to be able to go in and get a baseline and find where they are right today. So that in the years ahead, if anything happens, there’s documentation of where they were now, and also they’ll be able to get the help and assistance."
Gov. DeWine did not provide any specific details about the clinic itself, but we anticipate more information will be provided throughout the days ahead.
“The other thing that’s going to happen by putting this clinic there, I think the general health of the community, people’s access to a primary care physician, is going to go dramatically up,” Gov. DeWine said. “I think the quality of life will be improved because of that. I think people of the community deserve that.”
It has now been more than two months since the Norfolk Southern derailment happened on Feb. 3.
While he was here at WKYC Studios, we also asked Gov. DeWine for his reaction to former President Donald Trump facing criminal charges. Here's what he had to say.
Want to be among the first to know the most important local and national news? You can download the free WKYC app and get the latest updates right on your phone: Android, Apple.