Norfolk Southern hired the firm testing air in East Palestine homes. Experts warn the checks are lacking

Several experts called for a wider range of chemicals to be scanned for and recommended testing on surfaces as well

• This article is co-published with ProPublica, a non -profit newsroom that investigates abuses of power

Last month, Brenda Foster stood on the railroad tracks at the edge of her yard in East Palestine, Ohio and watched a smoky inferno billow from the wreckage of a derailed train. The chemicals it was carrying – and the fire that consumed them – were so toxic that the entire area had to evacuate. Foster packed up her 87-year-old mother and they fled to stay with relatives.

With a headache, sore throat, burning eyes and a cough, Foster returned home five days later – as soon as authorities allowed. So when she saw on TV that there was a hotline for residents with health concerns, she dialed as soon as the number popped up on the screen.