CLEVES, Ohio — While residents living near the chemical leak in Cleves and Whitewater Township can finally return home, they tell us they're still concerned about styrene's impact on the community.
Some slept in nearby hotels Tuesday night, while others stayed with friends or family. Arthur Pelcher said he slept in his car, unsure what was going on when he tried to return home from working the night shift.
"I've been in the same clothes since I got off work — that was yesterday," Pelcher said Wednesday afternoon. "And that tells you something ... I could not go to the house, take a shower, change clothes, get my medicine."
In the morning, he went to the Whitewater Township Community Center — one of multiple free shelters offered to residents in the area — and awaited any updates.
"It's got everybody freaking out now," Pelcher said. "How much exposure? How long are we gonna be out of our houses? Hey, I'm thankful to be alive."
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He's not the only person wondering what's next.
"I know everyone that I live by is OK, but I'm scared," resident Melissa McCoy said.
They took their concerns straight to officials, asking what was happening and when things would return to normal.
"The residents are feeling displaced, scared, they have nowhere to go, they left ... everything," one woman told officials.
After nearly 30 hours of waiting, residents finally got the all-clear to return home around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Russell Mckernan and his wife, Heather, said they left the house with nothing and spent the night at a nearby Hollywood Casino. But they told me, they barely slept. Almost a day and a half later, they heaved a sigh of relief as they got to go home.
“We were so happy ... she did all the packing cause she’s excellent and we were out in 10 minutes,” Russell said.
RELATED | Evacuation order lifted more than 24 hours after styrene leak in Cleves, Whitewater Twp.
But this isn’t the end of their worries, with many questions remaining.
"We’re still concerned about the aftermath, like you know what does that look like for us," Heather said.
Tiffany Tebelman, another resident who wasn’t in the immediate evacuation zone, said people were scared to go home.
"They wanna go home but they’re scared," she said. "They’re being told they can come home but they don’t want them playing in their yard, they don’t want their kids outside, are their animals safe, you know? Nobody has a definitive answer to any of that."
Tony Gollaway also lives in the area, but he was one of the few that didn’t evacuate.
"I've just been staying here, we have a pet and somebody had to take care of it so I stayed here," Gollaway said.
He told us he experienced no symptoms, and spent the time between his home and workshop out back. And as far as the aftermath, he has no concerns.
"No I don’t — I mean accidents happen, I mean, so it just is what it is," Gollaway said.
Officials on Wednesday night said the tanker car that was leaking styrene has been moved and is no longer a risk to the public. Representatives with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the air quality in the area is being monitored and tested. According to Hamilton County Public Heath, initial tests show no issues with the air or primary water service.
Some residents said they plan to get blood tests following any possible exposure from the leak. A class-action lawsuit was filed on Wednesday for residents and businesses dealing with lost wages and physical or mental suffering due to the leak.
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