After a tense meeting with officials on Wednesday, the residents of the sleepy Ohio town of East Palestine were left feeling angry, afraid, and frustrated.
The Norfolk Southern railroad company was the target of a lot of the rage after a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed and caught fire 13 days ago as it was passing through the town.
Just hours before the meeting started, company representatives withdrew due to security concerns.
Five railcars that were in danger of exploding after the derailment had been controlled vinyl chloride releases by emergency personnel. Although there were large black smoke plumes towering over the town, air quality monitoring teams tried to reassure the locals that everything was proceeding according to plan.
Despite these assurances from authorities, many locals claim they remained fearful of the potential consequences, which they claim had affected both people and wildlife.
People in the town reported that their chickens had died suddenly and that their pets had become ill, and thousands of dead fish had appeared in the town's creeks.
Many people have reported having trouble getting their water tested, which fuels mistrust toward what they perceive to be an ineffective and inadequate response to the crisis.
Numerous citizens repeatedly questioned officials about the quality of the air and water in the area while standing in front of banners and murals in a high school gym.
I'm equally frustrated. I'm a resident of the neighborhood, just like you," East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway said, showing signs of extreme fatigue. "I'm looking for answers. ".
Norfolk Southern announced its decision to skip the meeting just hours before it started.
The business issued a statement expressing its "increasing concern about the growing physical threat" to its employees due to the likelihood of "outside parties" taking part.
Even before the event began, the company's absence left many residents seething.
They are hiding something. East Palestine resident Jaime Cozza said, "If you know how to respond to questions, you don't back out of them. "Our town felt as though a bomb just went off. " .
Lifelong resident Chris Wallace - who remains unable to return to his house near a local creek - told the BBC that many townspeople had long been concerned about the speeds at which trains went through East Palestine, as well as the potential dangers of exhausted staff.
He said, "They ought to be here responding to inquiries. They have many secrets to keep. They do not wish for us to learn anything. Our area was bombed. " .
The BBC has contacted Norfolk Southern for a response.
According to Mr. Wallace and Ms. Cozza, they are working with other locals to hire outside experts to examine the soil and water as well as an attorney to respond to legal inquiries.
Officials, including US Congressman Bill Johnson, were repeatedly questioned inside the jam-packed gymnasium about what many locals said they perceive as conflicting and confusing health advice.
They kept saying it was okay to drink bottled water in addition to the tap water, according to Scott McLear. That isn't an answer, I say. ye.commastmastmastmastmastmas, and. " .
Mayor Conaway reminded those present that "we're all adults here" after officials repeatedly begged locals to behave civilly during the meeting.
Although participants in the event acknowledged that the derailment's toxins had killed fish and other wildlife, the head of Ohio's health department, Bruce Vanderhoff, told the crowd that the levels of toxins in the air and water supplies were much lower than what could harm humans.
The gymnasium erupted in cheers when a woman from the bleachers questioned, "Why are people getting sick if there's nothing in the air or the water?".
For his part, Congressman Johnson offered a viewpoint that he described as "common sense.".
I'm neither a doctor nor a chemist, he declared. "Seek medical attention if you experience symptoms or conditions that you did not have prior to February 3rd. Get that recorded. ".
Michael Regan, the director of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is scheduled to visit East Palestine on Thursday to assess the response to the derailment and meet with regional leaders.
The EPA announced in a statement that he would talk about "air monitoring and work to ensure the health and safety of the community. " .
However, for some locals, Mr. Regan's visit comes too little, too late.
A young man who only wanted to be known as Owen declared, "I have absolutely no faith whatsoever. "The explanations they are giving might be accurate. However, they aren't giving them in a way that will make anyone feel better.
. "