Are chiggers a problem in Ohio lawns. How can you identify chigger infestations. What methods effectively eliminate chiggers from your property. How to prevent future chigger invasions in your yard.

Understanding Chiggers: Tiny Terrors of Ohio Lawns

Chiggers, also known as berry bugs or harvest mites, are microscopic arachnids that can cause significant discomfort for Ohio residents. These tiny creatures, closely related to ticks, are notorious for their itchy bites and ability to quickly infest residential properties. Despite their small size, chiggers can have a big impact on your outdoor enjoyment.

Identifying Chiggers: What Do They Look Like?

Chiggers are nearly invisible to the naked eye, measuring less than 1/150th of an inch in length. Their distinctive bright reddish-orange color sets them apart from other mites, but you’ll likely need a magnifying glass to spot them. These tiny arachnids are most active during the warmer months, thriving in moist, bushy areas of your lawn.

The Chigger Life Cycle: From Egg to Biting Menace

Understanding the chigger life cycle is crucial for effective control. Adult female chiggers can lay one to five eggs per day, contributing to rapid population growth if left unchecked. The larvae that hatch from these eggs are the stage responsible for biting humans and animals, seeking out a blood meal to fuel their growth into adults.

The Impact of Chigger Bites: More Than Just an Itch

Chigger bites can cause severe discomfort and irritation. These bites typically appear as itchy, red bumps that may resemble pimples, blisters, or small hives. Common bite locations include areas around the waist, ankles, or wherever clothing fits tightly against the skin.

Why Do Chiggers Bite?

Chiggers are attracted to humans and animals for the same reason as mosquitoes and ticks: the carbon dioxide we exhale. Once they latch onto a host, chiggers use their saliva to dissolve skin cells, which they then consume for nourishment. This process can lead to intense itching that may persist for several days.

Chigger Habitats: Where You’re Most Likely to Encounter Them

In Ohio, chiggers are commonly found in outdoor environments that provide the moisture and shelter they prefer. These habitats include:

• Tall grass and weedy areas
• Woodlands and forest edges
• Overgrown lawns
• Areas near lakes and streams
• Berry patches and orchards

Knowing where chiggers are likely to reside can help you take precautions when spending time outdoors and identify potential problem areas on your property.

Effective Strategies for Eliminating Chiggers from Your Ohio Property

Dealing with a chigger infestation requires a multi-faceted approach. While professional treatment is often the most effective solution, there are steps homeowners can take to complement these efforts.

Professional Chigger Control: The Expert Approach

Hiring a professional lawn care service is the most reliable way to eliminate chiggers from your property. These experts have the knowledge, experience, and access to high-quality insecticides designed specifically for chigger control. The process typically involves:

1. A thorough property inspection to confirm the presence of chiggers
2. Application of a specialized insecticide to target chigger populations
3. Follow-up treatments to ensure complete eradication

Professional treatments not only kill existing chiggers but also help prevent future infestations when applied regularly.

DIY Chigger Control Measures

While professional treatment is recommended, there are some steps homeowners can take to reduce chigger populations:

• Regular mowing to keep grass short
• Trimming shrubs and brush to eliminate shady, moist areas
• Removing leaf litter and other organic debris from the yard
• Applying diatomaceous earth to affected areas
• Using natural repellents like cedar oil or neem oil

These methods can help control chigger populations but may not be as effective as professional treatments for severe infestations.

Preventing Chigger Infestations: Proactive Measures for Ohio Homeowners

Preventing chiggers from establishing themselves on your property is key to avoiding the discomfort and inconvenience they bring. A comprehensive prevention strategy includes both landscape management and ongoing professional treatments.

Landscape Management for Chigger Prevention

Creating an environment that’s inhospitable to chiggers can significantly reduce the likelihood of infestation. Consider implementing these landscaping practices:

• Maintain a well-manicured lawn with regular mowing
• Keep shrubs and bushes trimmed, especially near property edges
• Reduce moisture in the yard by improving drainage
• Remove piles of leaves, grass clippings, and other organic matter promptly
• Create barriers between wooded areas and your lawn using gravel or wood chips

Ongoing Professional Chigger Control Programs

Enrolling in a regular chigger control program offered by lawn care professionals is the most effective way to prevent infestations. These programs typically include:

• Scheduled treatments throughout the chigger season
• Use of long-lasting insecticides for continuous protection
• Regular property inspections to identify and address potential chigger habitats
• Adjustments to the treatment plan based on seasonal changes and chigger activity

By maintaining consistent coverage, these programs ensure that your property remains chigger-free throughout the year.

Personal Protection: Avoiding Chigger Bites During Outdoor Activities

While property management is crucial, personal protection measures are equally important when spending time outdoors in chigger-prone areas. Implementing these strategies can help reduce your risk of chigger bites:

Clothing Choices for Chigger Prevention

• Wear long pants tucked into socks
• Choose light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot chiggers
• Opt for tightly woven fabrics that chiggers can’t easily penetrate
• Use permethrin-treated clothing for added protection

Repellents and After-Activity Precautions

Applying insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus can help deter chiggers. After spending time in potentially chigger-infested areas:

• Shower immediately and wash clothes in hot water
• Use a lint roller on clothing before entering your home
• Inspect your body for any attached chiggers and remove them promptly

The Role of Professional Lawn Care in Chigger Management

Professional lawn care services play a crucial role in effective chigger management for Ohio homeowners. These experts bring a wealth of knowledge, specialized equipment, and access to professional-grade treatments that can make a significant difference in controlling chigger populations.

Benefits of Professional Chigger Control Services

• Accurate identification of chigger infestations
• Customized treatment plans based on property-specific needs
• Use of safe and effective insecticides not available to the general public
• Regular monitoring and adjustments to ensure ongoing protection
• Expert advice on landscape management for chigger prevention

By partnering with a professional lawn care service, Ohio homeowners can enjoy their outdoor spaces without the constant worry of chigger infestations.

Understanding the Ecological Role of Chiggers in Ohio

While chiggers are often seen as pests, it’s important to understand their role in the broader ecosystem. These tiny arachnids are part of the complex web of life in Ohio’s natural environments.

Chiggers in the Food Chain

Chiggers serve as a food source for various predators, including:

• Small birds
• Insects like ants and beetles
• Spiders
• Small reptiles and amphibians

Their presence in the ecosystem contributes to the biodiversity of Ohio’s natural areas.

Balancing Control and Conservation

While it’s important to manage chigger populations in residential areas, complete eradication is neither possible nor desirable from an ecological perspective. Professional lawn care services can help strike a balance between effective control and environmental stewardship.

By implementing targeted treatments and promoting healthy lawn ecosystems, it’s possible to reduce chigger populations to manageable levels without causing undue harm to beneficial organisms.

Chiggers and Climate Change: Potential Impacts on Ohio’s Pest Landscape

As Ohio’s climate continues to change, the distribution and behavior of pests like chiggers may also shift. Understanding these potential changes can help homeowners and lawn care professionals adapt their management strategies.

Potential Effects of Climate Change on Chigger Populations

• Extended active seasons due to warmer temperatures
• Expansion of suitable habitats as vegetation patterns change
• Increased reproduction rates in response to favorable conditions
• Changes in the timing of peak chigger activity

Staying informed about these potential shifts can help Ohio residents and lawn care professionals adjust their chigger management approaches to remain effective in the face of changing environmental conditions.

Adapting Chigger Control Strategies for a Changing Climate

As the climate evolves, chigger control strategies may need to adapt. This could include:

• Adjusting the timing and frequency of treatments
• Exploring new, climate-appropriate landscaping techniques
• Investigating alternative control methods that remain effective under new conditions
• Increasing monitoring efforts to detect changes in chigger behavior and distribution

By staying proactive and adaptable, Ohio homeowners and lawn care professionals can continue to effectively manage chigger populations despite environmental changes.

Innovative Approaches to Chigger Control in Ohio

As our understanding of chiggers and their behavior grows, new and innovative approaches to control are emerging. These methods offer promising alternatives or supplements to traditional chemical treatments.

Biological Control Methods

Researchers are exploring the use of natural predators and pathogens to control chigger populations. Potential biological control agents include:

• Predatory mites that feed on chiggers
• Entomopathogenic fungi that can infect and kill chiggers
• Nematodes that parasitize chigger larvae

While still in the experimental stages, these biological control methods could offer environmentally friendly alternatives for managing chigger populations in the future.

Technological Innovations in Chigger Management

Advancements in technology are also contributing to more effective chigger control strategies:

• Remote sensing techniques for identifying potential chigger habitats
• Precision application systems for more targeted insecticide use
• Smart monitoring devices to track chigger activity and environmental conditions
• Apps and online tools for homeowners to report and track chigger infestations

These technological innovations have the potential to make chigger control more efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly.

Community-Wide Approaches to Chigger Management in Ohio

Effective chigger control often requires a coordinated effort beyond individual properties. Community-wide approaches can lead to more sustainable and comprehensive management of chigger populations.

Collaborative Chigger Control Initiatives

Communities in Ohio can work together to implement broader chigger management strategies:

• Coordinated treatment schedules among neighboring properties
• Shared resources for professional pest control services
• Community education programs on chigger prevention and control
• Volunteer efforts to manage public spaces and reduce chigger habitats

By taking a unified approach, communities can create larger zones of chigger-free areas, reducing the likelihood of reinfestation from neighboring properties.

Public Policy and Chigger Management

Local and state governments in Ohio can play a role in supporting effective chigger management:

• Developing guidelines for chigger control in public spaces
• Providing resources and support for community-wide management efforts
• Funding research into innovative chigger control methods
• Implementing regulations to ensure safe and effective pest management practices

Through collaborative efforts and supportive policies, Ohio communities can work together to minimize the impact of chiggers on residents’ quality of life.

The Future of Chigger Control in Ohio: Trends and Predictions

As we look to the future, several trends are likely to shape the landscape of chigger control in Ohio. Understanding these potential developments can help homeowners and lawn care professionals prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Emerging Trends in Chigger Management

• Increased focus on integrated pest management (IPM) approaches
• Growing demand for eco-friendly and organic control methods
• Development of more targeted and species-specific treatments
• Greater emphasis on preventive measures and habitat modification
• Integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in pest control strategies

These trends suggest a future where chigger control becomes more sophisticated, sustainable, and tailored to specific environments and needs.

Preparing for Future Chigger Challenges

To stay ahead of potential chigger-related issues, Ohio residents and lawn care professionals can:

• Stay informed about the latest research and control methods
• Invest in ongoing education and training on pest management techniques
• Collaborate with local universities and extension services for up-to-date information
• Participate in community initiatives and policy discussions related to pest control
• Remain adaptable and open to new approaches as they emerge

By staying proactive and informed, Ohio can continue to effectively manage chigger populations while minimizing environmental impact and maximizing the enjoyment of outdoor spaces.

Do You Have Chiggers Crawling in Your Grass? Here’s What To Do

In Ohio, chiggers can be a real problem, especially for property owners who are dealing with a chigger infestation. Also referred to as berry bugs and harvest mites, chiggers are similar to ticks in the sense that they are quite small and can bite people and pets. If you think chiggers are overtaking your property, there are three things you need to know: what exactly is a chigger and how you can identify them, how you can get rid of chiggers on your property, and how you can keep chiggers from coming back.

What are chiggers?

Chiggers are a close relative of ticks and are nearly microscopic. Because they are so small, they can be difficult to spot, but their distinctive bright reddish-orange color sets them apart from other mites. Chiggers bite both people and animals as a source of food. Even though they are tiny, their bites can pack a punch by causing severe itching and/or a skin rash. Chigger bites are itchy, red bumps that can look like pimples, blisters, or small hives and are typically found around the waist or ankles. Chiggers are attracted to people for the same reason that mosquitoes and ticks are attracted to us; because we produce carbon dioxide when we breathe, which attracts bugs like chiggers to want to bite us. Chiggers usually favor conditions such as moist, bushy areas to live and nest, which is why they can often be found in yards.

How do you get rid of chiggers?

The best way to get rid of chiggers from your property is to hire your local lawn care professionals to treat your lawn. They have the knowledge and the highest quality chemical treatments to safely and efficiently eliminate chiggers from your property. When a lawn care company comes out to your property, they will first do an inspection to make sure that you are dealing with a chigger infestation. Next, they will spray your lawn with a high-quality insecticide that is designed to kill them off. Once they are finished, you should be able to use your lawn without having to worry about these pests biting you, your loved ones, or your pets.

Chiggers can lay one to five eggs per day, so if you don’t act fast, they can quickly take over your lawn!

How can you prevent chiggers?

The best way to prevent chiggers in the first place is to enroll in an ongoing chigger control program that continuously offers treatments. Treating for chiggers regularly is the only way to keep them away for good. When enrolling in a chigger control program, you’ll want to make sure that the company you are working with will offer multiple treatments throughout the entirety of the chigger season. You will also want to make sure that each treatment will last until the next one is applied to ensure that there is no lapse in coverage.

There are also a few things that homeowners can do to supplement these treatments. For example, mowing your grass and trimming back shrubs and brush frequently will limit the shady, bushy areas that chiggers thrive in. Also be sure to regularly clear leaf litter from your yard as moist, dark piles of leaves are conducive to chigger activity.

Give us a call to schedule our chigger control service!

Nobody likes unwanted visitors, especially when those visitors bite! If you suspect that chiggers are overrunning your property, turn to the professionals at Free Spray Lawn Care. Our lawn care professionals will quickly and safely end the infestation so you and your loved ones can get back to enjoying your yard. We offer our chigger control service to property owners in Mansfield, Wooster, Strongsville, OH and throughout the surrounding areas. Give us a call at 419-529-5296 to schedule our chigger control service today.

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Chigger Bites (for Parents) – Humana

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What Are Chiggers?

Chiggers (also called harvest mites or red bugs) are tiny red, biting mites. Their bites aren’t painful, but do cause intense itching.

Chiggers are members of the arachnid family (the same family that includes spiders and ticks). They are smaller than a period at the end of a sentence. Most can only be seen with a magnifying glass.

Chiggers are found all over the outdoors, including in grassy fields, along lakes and streams, and in forests. It’s the baby chiggers that bite people and animals.

How Do Chigger Bites Happen?

After hatching, baby chiggers wait on plants for people or animals to pass by. When they do, the chigger attaches to them using tiny claws. Once attached, it pierces their skin and injects its saliva (spit). The spit contains digestive juices that dissolve skin cells. The chigger then eats the dissolved cells, which provide the protein it needs to grow into an adult. After a couple of days the chigger falls off, leaving a red bump on the skin.

What Are the Signs of Chigger Bites?

Chigger bites are itchy red bumps that can look like pimples, blisters, or small hives. They are usually found around the waist, ankles, or in warm skin folds. They get bigger and itchier over several days, and often appear in groups.

Chigger bites start to itch within hours of the chigger attaching to the skin. The itch stops after a few days, and the red bumps heal over 1–2 weeks.

If chigger bites happen on the penis, they can cause swelling, itching, and painful peeing. This is known as “summer penile syndrome.”

How Are Chigger Bites Diagnosed?

Doctors can diagnose chigger bites by looking at them and asking about a person’s recent outdoor activities.

How Are Chigger Bites Treated?

Unlike mosquitoes and ticks, chiggers don’t carry disease. So they are not harmful, only annoying. You can usually treat chigger bites at home:

• Scrub chigger bites well with soap and water to help remove any chiggers that are still attached to the skin.
• Holding a cool washcloth over the bites can be soothing.
• Calamine lotion or anti-itch creams can help with the itching.
• Antihistamines (allergy medicine) taken by mouth can sometimes help with itching, especially if your child has trouble sleeping at night.

Discourage kids from scratching at the bites because this can lead to:

• impetigo, a bacterial infection of the skin, with pus and crusts around the bites
• a larger area of increasing redness, swelling, pain, and warmth, called cellulitis

Keeping fingernails short can help prevent skin damage from scratching. Antibiotics may be needed if a skin infection does happen.

When Should I Call the Doctor?

Call your doctor’s office if:

• Over-the-counter creams or lotions don’t help the itching.
• A bite looks infected (watch for warmth, redness, swelling, tenderness, or pus).
• Your child has symptoms of “summer penile syndrome.”

Can Chigger Bites Be Prevented?

To help prevent chigger bites when enjoying the great outdoors:

• Apply an insect repellent with 10%–30% DEET.
• Clothes also can be treated with a specific insecticide (like permethrin) to help prevent bites.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into shoes, especially during hiking. This also can help protect kids from other biting critters like ticks and mosquitoes.
• Wash kids’ skin with soap and water when they come back inside. Wash all clothes in hot water and tumble dry on high heat before they’re worn again.

Chigger bites aren’t contagious, so kids can’t catch them from someone or give them to somebody else. They can still play sports and do all normal activities unless the itching makes them too uncomfortable.

Reviewed by: Yamini Durani, MD

Date reviewed: June 2023

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News at 20:00 last full issue watch online

February 16, 2023
21:38

Denis Davydov

While Europe, within the framework of the tenth package of anti-Russian sanctions, calls to seriously consider providing Ukraine with missile systems, fighter jets and helicopters, the helicopter of the American National Guard falls on a busy highway in Alabama. Everyone who was inside the collapsed Black Hawk died, and the fire was extinguished for more than 5 hours. Where and why the helicopter was flying, the aviation services do not report, but they are afraid in social networks: what if they mistook it for a Chinese one and shot it down?!

Two large-scale chemical emergencies are shrouded not only in smoke from the fire, but also in mystery. But if a warehouse with plastic is just burning in Florida, then Ohio is already on the verge of an environmental disaster, which the White House does not comment on.

The explosion was filmed from different angles, because the explosion is controlled. Dozens of cameras followed a black poisonous cloud covering for many kilometers many towns in Ohio and neighboring Pennsylvania. The authorities did not come up with anything better – they decided to set fire to tanks with chemicals that had derailed near the town of Eastern Palestine. Residents were carefully evacuated, but on the second day, as soon as the smoke cleared, the care ended – everyone was offered to return home.

“We smelled chemicals when we were driving towards the city. I have a chemical burn on my face, a rash. Fish died in the streams, there are multi-colored oil stains on the water, a constant smell of burnt plastic. Our dog is lethargic, he constantly vomits. Terrible things are happening here “, says one of the locals.

The train that brought so many troubles to these parts was carrying a whole periodic table: ethylene glycol ether, isobutylene, butyl acrylate, but most importantly – vinyl chloride. A colorless gas that decomposes into hydrogen chloride and phosgene when burned. Phosgene poisoned people in the First World War. Of the 150 tanks in the train, 50 derailed.

Those who decided to set it on fire have their own truth – they were afraid of an uncontrolled explosion. Tanks could break, and pieces of metal, like shrapnel, would mutilate everything around for several kilometers. Now they cheerfully report that there are no casualties and destruction.

“If I were there right now, I would drink water there. Yesterday, when our chief physician advised drinking only bottled water, he simply did not know the results of water tests. Today we have them,” said Mike Devine , Governor of Ohio.

Governor giving advice from the state capital, hundreds of miles away from the crash site. For two weeks, he never appeared at the overturned tanks. The authorities pretended that nothing terrible had happened.

“They are happy when they collect our taxes. The authorities are happy to spend trillions of dollars around the world on their military operations, just leaving ordinary people. People like these unfortunate East Palestine in Ohio,” said American politician Tulsi Gabbard.

Residents heard the first official messages that it is better to drink bottled water only on the 10th day after the accident. “The EPA didn’t seem to be doing any water tests, and the railroad company that made it happen hired some office to do all the tests. It’s the same type of office that BP hired. Remember, 12 years ago they told us that the water in the Gulf of Mexico is in perfect order after BP’s towers with trillions of tons of oil flew into the air?!” says one of the locals.

What just happened in Ohio, how serious the damage is, whether there will be compensation – a queue for answers to these questions lined up at the school gym, where the townspeople gathered. But no one came to see them. The management of the railway company sent a letter – they are afraid for the safety of their employees, so somehow without them. The only representative of power was the local mayor, who is also a local resident. “I’m just the mayor of a town of 4,700 people. If you think I can fight the railroad giants and the federal government, then you’re out of your mind. I need help. I’m not ready for this,” he said.

The railroad company sent one check for $1,200,000 to the entire city.

“That’s not enough! Maybe this is just the beginning. Help is needed now from different places. Many are responsible for what happened. I was told that the bearings of the train overheated. Why did they overheat? Maybe because they were not properly maintained ?! All this needs to be investigated,” said Brad Venstrup, a member of the US House of Representatives from Ohio.

Just a month and a half ago, railroad workers complained about how companies cut staff, those who remain, lengthen shifts, and even lengthen trains, giving a damn about the safety of transportation. There were more accidents under the new Minister of Transport. Biden gave the job to Pete Buttigieg. The pride of the administration is the first openly gay minister. In his speeches, he does not even mention the disaster in Ohio. Other issues matter.

“From generation to generation, we’ve heard too many stories about infrastructure when a neighborhood of color finally gets a project, but everyone who works on this project, doing well-paid jobs, looks like they’re not from the area” said Pete Buttigieg.

Neither Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg nor President Biden came to Ohio and commented on the catastrophe extremely sparingly. Journalists suggested that if the tragedy with the train happened not in the United States, but in Ukraine, the American authorities would have shown greater sensitivity.

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“For us, it’s Pearl Harbor.” How a city in Ohio lives after a train crash with toxic chemicals

• Bernd Debusmann
• BBC East Palestine, Ohio

February 18, 2023

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Image caption,

Many residents of East Palestine, Ohio, can now only drink bottled water – tap water gives them strange symptoms

For John and Lisa Hammer, residents of a small town in East Palestine, Ohio , normal life ended on February 3 at 20:55. At that moment, a train loaded with toxic chemicals derailed just a few meters from the building where their thriving garbage company was located.

This report was published in English, the original can be read here .

The Hammers have been developing their business for 18 years, going from five clients to more than seven thousand.

“It completely ruined our lives,” John tells the BBC, barely holding back tears. We talk to him in the parking lot outside his company office, where the smell of chemicals still hangs in the air after the disaster.

“I’ve already decided to get out of here,” he adds. “We’re moving. We can’t do this anymore.”

After a train derailment, rescue services had to release vinyl chloride, a toxic, colorless gas, from five tanks. Otherwise, they could explode.

Image copyright Reuters

John’s eyes are red and swollen – he believes chemicals released into the air after the crash in East Palestine are to blame.

But the couple told the BBC that they suffered even more psychologically.

“I can’t sleep at all. I’ve already been to the doctor twice, now I’m taking a sedative,” says John Hammer. “It’s ten times worse than just losing your livelihood. We built this business from the very beginning.”

Just like her husband, Lisa Hammer stays up all night thinking about what will happen to the company, her ten employees – and the whole city where she has spent 20 years of her life.

• Massive explosion in Bangladesh at a clothing warehouse for the West. More than 40 dead, hundreds injured
• A million babies a year are born dead because of polluted air, scientists say – they are now also planning to leave East Palestine.

  “I’m scared for the people who live here,” she says. “I don’t know anyone who can sleep well now, because literally everything is at stake. Business, health, and the health of friends.”

  We climb a mountain of rubbish that rises near the burnt wreckage of wagons, and Hammer compares the train accident here to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

  Photo credit, Reuters

  Photo caption,

  Crash site

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  He’s not the only one who thinks so. In the two days we spent in East Palestine, several locals told the BBC that they saw the train derailment as a critical moment in the city’s history. For the foreseeable future at least, their lives will be defined by what happened before and after this catastrophe.

  Federal and local officials advise residents not to drink tap water, but to buy bottled water. Authorities have said it’s safe to return to the city within days of the crash, but environmental experts aren’t sure the advice can be trusted.

  Substances released into the atmosphere after the crash (vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate) are hazardous to health and in sufficient concentration can cause various complications – from nausea to cancer.

  “For our city, it’s Pearl Harbor, or 9/11. This will always be remembered,” says local café owner Ben Ratner.

  In the case of Ratner, what happened led to a “curious combination” of experiences and sensations. Now he visibly shudders every time he hears the sound of a passing train, although he had not noticed such things before. And he adds that now the trains seem to him louder and more annoying than in the past.

  Image copyright, Getty Images

  Photo caption,

  60-year-old car wash owner Ron Rafferty says he wears a mask at work because he fears for his health

  He says that his friends in East Palestine start to panic about everything and remain constantly on their guard – feelings he compares to post-traumatic stress disorder .

  “It’s time for us to think about the long-term consequences for the psyche and emotional state of people,” says Ratner. “People have become worried when trains pass nearby, when their children go outside, when they let dogs out – and they accidentally get drunk on contaminated water. It’s all very serious.”

  According to him, local children only recently survived the Covid-19 pandemic, and now their lives have been turned upside down due to another trauma. “This could go on for generations,” he says. “It’s not just gas or clouds of chemicals.”

  Johns Hopkins University professor Kiv Nachman told the BBC that the substances released into the atmosphere after the crash could significantly damage people’s health.

  “There is very little information about how people came into contact with these chemicals – through air, drinking water or soil,” says the expert.

  US Environmental Protection Agency chief Michael Regan visited eastern Palestine on Thursday to see firsthand how the rescue operation is progressing, meet with local officials – and reassure residents that the government is doing everything possible for them.

  “We see you, hear you and understand why you are worried,” he said.

  The agency claims that no dangerous concentrations of toxic substances have been recorded in the atmosphere, and experts have checked the air in hundreds of residential buildings.

  In addition, both Senators from Ohio, JD Vance and Sherrod Brown, sent messages of support to the city’s residents. Gov. Mike DeWine has asked the federal government for help.

  Representatives of local water networks admitted that the Ohio River was polluted, but they say that the drinking water supply system was not affected.

  The author of the photo, Reuters

  Photo caption,

  Residents of the town discussed problems with representatives of the authorities at meetings many times

  The head of Norfolk Southern, which owned the crashed train, understands that people are tired of what is happening, afraid of the consequences, they “have a lot of unanswered questions.”

  But at the same time, representatives of the railway company on Wednesday refused to meet with the population of Eastern Palestine, citing security concerns.