erin brockovich demands that the authorities stop comforting the inhabitants of the walls and finallyhole truth if a bird dies. so it's for people too. may be dangerous, if fish die, it means that animals die dangerously for people. and they keep saying completely different things. drink water, don't drink water safely unsafe. all this only confuses people, while other american states are sounding the alarm. it turned out that the water and soil contaminated with toxic chemicals from the agai had been taken out to texas and michigan for more than a week, which were not even warned. we learned yesterday that water from east palestine will be sent to our district for processing, and we did not learn about this from the sender. no company but from journalists is unacceptable in michigan. people came out to protest. we don't need all this here. let them take it back. this is how we treat our beautiful state by bringing toxic waste from agaev to michigan . michigan residents managed to defend the authorities , they decided to stop transporting and polluting there for the time being, but th

. >> reporter: girardi famously won the real-life erin brockovich case. >> we've represented people againstt dow. this is a million times worse. >> a million times worse? >> that's right. they let these innocent people drink water which was laced with chromium day in and day out. it's as bad as it gets. >> reporter: today in a chicago courtroom, girardi was arraigned on federal fraud charges. >> there's something particularly insidious about the criminal charges that girard faces out of federal court in chicago. because as alleged, he's taking money, millions of dollars, to compensate people who lost loved ones in a plane crash, to pay off his american express card. >> reporter: he was indicted here in february for allegedly misappropriating more than $3 million in settlement funds intended for relatives of the victims in the lion air 610 crash, a boeing plane that went down in indonesia, killing everyone on board. >> we never worried about her traveling, especially because this is her job. >> reporter: his mother was one of the 189 people who lost their lives on that doomed flight. >> i ha

. >> reporter: environmental advocate erin brockovich says this community will likely need to keep testing this begins a huge water issue. we've seen it play itself out over and over again. >> reporter: the whistle-blower remains skeptical about authorities' transparency and accountability. >> they can sound the all-clear and tell you the water's safe. but that's for that moment. that isn't how these environmental situations usually pan out. >> reporter: ashley mccollum and her family are now living under a cloud of uncertainty. they have been staying with her mother four miles away in pennsylvania, too scared to return. >> just want to go home. it's kind of sad that we have to stay here. but i don't feel safe going home. >> reporter: 6-year-old zane won't even go home to tend to his pet iguana. his mom slips into town to feed it. >> i know whenever i go into town, i'm going to have some kind of symptom. whether it be a headache, dry mouth, or just feel sick. >> reporter: east palestine is in the heart of ohio trump country. the county voting overwhelmingly for him in 2020. the derailment

>> reporter: but environmental activist erin brockovich, who investigated contaminated water in californiae reason to be concerned. >> the narrative needs to be this community and what happened to them. they are not stupid. they are not making things up. >> reporter: so far, more than 2 million gallons of liquid wastewater and about 1400 tons of solid waste have been hauled away to seven disposal sites in four states. just south of the disaster zone, in east liverpool, many say they don't want the toxic waste, either. >> who knows what is going to come of this, years down the road. i don't think will ever find out what the -- what the major effects are. >> reporter: with the health effects could be? >> absolutely, yeah. >> reporter: at the public meeting now happening in the school behind me, some residence look to voice their concerns directly to norfolk southern representatives for the first time. norah, we have also learned the company's ceo plans to testify at a senate hearing a week from today. >> norah: we will be watching. roxana saberi, thank you so much. well, we learned today tha

. >> reporter: erin brockovich, of course, became a household name after exposing california groundwater contamination in the '90s which led to an oscar winning movie about her life >> we need to hear from you. >> reporter: she is now focused on what she says is an unfolding disaster here >> in 30 years we have made absolutely no progress we continue to do the same thing over and over and over again, expecting a different result >> reporter: on capitol hill, bipartisan senators are trying to strengthen safety measures for trains carrying hazardous materials, mandating wheels be scanned for heat every ten miles norfolk southern says it's already committed to pay out millions of dollars to affected residents. >> we understand this has been a huge impact to the community, but we're working with the agencies to make sure we're doing this right. >> reporter: is that enough >> no. i'm really beginning to wonder what they're up to. everything here wreaks >> reporter: ashley mccollum says she's dealt with watery eyes, dizziness and other symptoms for weeks. do you feel safe in east palestine rig

but environmental activist erin brockovich, who investigated contaminated water in california in the '90s, says residents have reason to be concerned. >> the narrative needs to be this community and what happened to them. they are not stupid. they are not making things up. >> reporter: so far, more than 2 million gallons of liquid wastewater and about 1,400 tons of solid waste have been hauled away to seven disposal sites in four states. just south of the disaster zone, in east liverpool, many say they don't want the toxic waste either. >> who knows what's going to come of this years down the road? i don't think we'll ever find out what the major effects are. >> what the health effects could be? >> absolutely, yeah. >> reporter: at the public meeting now happening in the school behind me, some residents hope to voice their concerns directly to norfolk southern representatives for the first time. norah, we've also learned the company's ceo plans to testify at a senate hearing a week from today. >> we'll be watching. roxana saberi, thank you so much. >>> well, we learned today that bla

erin brockovich demands that the authorities stop calming the residents down and finally tell the wholeuth, if birds die, then it means for people, maybe if fish die, then animals die dangerously for people, and they continue to tell completely different things to drink and water do not drink water safely unsafe. all this just confuses people. meanwhile, other american states are sounding the alarm. it turned out that the water and soil contaminated with toxic chemicals had been wasted for more than a week, as they were being taken to texas, which michigan had not even been warned about. we learned yesterday that water from palestine will be sent to our district for processing and we learned about this no government. no company, but from journalists. this is unacceptable in michin. people. they went out to protest. we don't need all this here. let them take it back. this is how we treat our beautiful state bringing toxic waste to michigan from aga michigan residents managed to defend the authorities decided to stop transporting traffic there for the time being, but they do not exclude t

. >>> environmental activist erin brockovich is in northeastern ohio today meeting with residents impacted by that waste from the toxic train derailment. >> they are not stupid. they are not making things up. this is very real to them. and i really hope that everybody will spend time with them and go to their property, smell it for yourself. experience it for yourself. feel what they're going through. >> reporter: take a look at this video taken of the cleanup that is under way nearly 2 million gallons of toxic wastewater have been hauled to treatment centers in ohio, michigan and texas and nbc news correspondent ron allen has been following the story now for the whole time it's been going on and communities outside of east palestine, ron, are now worried about the impact of that toxic waste coming from the crash. what's causing the concern? >> reporter: they're concerned because it has to go somewhere. it's waste and it's water and going to facilities that in some cases, for example, a facility 20 miles away from east palestine in east liverpool, there's a somewhat checkered history of th

. >>> erin brockovich is back in east palestine, ohio, the site of the train derailment a month ago. to talk about her investigative work on town wells and local water supplies. she has been meeting with affected residents today and boy is she fired up. >> mismanagement here is unbelievable. you have -- i mean, everybody's seen the pictures. the pictures i was seeing up close, what was burning, the smells. it was very overwhelming to have such a close perspective today of what they went through. every time they try to get answers to the epa, the epa is deferring to norfolk, the very fox that's in the hen house. this is what upsets me, it takes me back to my days in hinckley, california, we have another environmental disaster, another corporate cover up. i'm sorry, something is not right here. agency failures and a really great community of really great people that deserve answers. >> her visit comes as concerns grow about the health impact on local residents, as well as where the toxic material is being hauled off to. the epa says nearly 2 million gallons of hazardous waste water hav

about the lawsuit but i'm just curious about the people of east palestine i was on the phone with erin brockovich ge back on its feet is there anything that you can say to the people of eas palestine and the surroundin community? >> obviously, the emergenc response is ongoing. we have a short term issue o having to clean up the community. the polluted water and soil. but beyond that, this lawsui is the state of ohio saying, w are not going to forget you. the effect that become a parro years ahead from now, like 9/1 or things we found out years later, this lawsuit is designe to make sure that east palestine is not forgotten and that there accountability an resources to deal with those things that we don't even know yet. >> attorney general, you say just now, this is abou accountability how much of it is also sending a message in terms o preventing something like this from happening again -- the most significant, and th one that has received the most headlines. this company has had a numbe of such accidents just in th last few weeks >> well, and as our lawsui notes, their accident rate has increase

i was on the phone with erin brockovich she has incredible stories of people living in this communitys feet is there anything you can say of people of east palestine and the community? >> the emergency response is ongoing. we have a short-term issue, cleaning of the community, the polluted water and soil. beyond that, the lawsuit is the state of ohio saying we're not going to forget you. the affects that become apparent years from now like 9/11, things we found out years later. this is designed to make sure that east palestine is not forgotten and there's resources to deal with those things that we don't even know yet >> you say this is about accountability how much is also about sending a message to prevent this from happening again? this company has had a number of such accidents, just in the last few weeks. >> as our lawsuit notes, the accident rate has increased by 80% over ten years i don't care what business you're in. if you see an 80% delta, you should ask questions about policies and operational systems and controls are you doing things right wo should you be refining how you

i mean town hall meeting was they really went out it was real erin brockovich stuff.and goliath and they've managed now to push back so much that they are not going to be obuged that they are not going to be obliged to have hydrogen power in is that only in their house. is that only solution that people have to come together? absolute come together? well, absolute only people power is what happens. this is one reason why we've got 13 years of fuel duty freeze. i've been angry, know i've going since those i've been going off since those all have been going on campaigning this. but what we campaigning on this. but what we need to is to together the need to do is to together the big thing is both parties, the major parties must ask the pubuc major parties must ask the public and get them involved in this so they can buy into their pipe this so they can buy into their pipe dream of reality. and i'm afraid it isn't a reality. it cannot be all it's going to those people in the pocket and businesses in the pocket. it's going to be a terrible catastrophe. how would you you kn

that kettle that reminds me of the erin brockovich show, when they when they got all those millions frompecially from the water in, especially from the that was being the town that was being poisoned. said, we poisoned. and they said, we bought you. and all bought it for you. and they all went didn't do that. no, no went and didn't do that. no, no , no. it's all about that law having what's put in their kettles . yeah. sadly worrying it kettles. yeah. sadly worrying it would stop , it would stop it would stop, it would stop it overnight. it will. you did take this to you didn't you. earlier on me tony made it as lovely as well . by the way, i think we've well. by the way, i think we've got time for one quick got time for one more quick story anyone , want to guess, can story anyone, want to guess, can italk story anyone, want to guess, can i talk about king charles? he's saying to harry i know, i know we don't you know, fed up of it. but no, no. as a parent, i wouldn't be making time for my child. that has been rude about my partner . so child. that has been rude about my partner. so rud