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Rocky Mount resident tells council diesel fumes from CSX trains are harming neighborhood health
Summary
Ed Scancarelli urged the council to address diesel fumes and alleged tree die-off near CSX tracks, said he survived lung cancer and wants EPA engagement; city manager said the city will contact its CSX liaison but lacks direct enforcement authority.
A Rocky Mount resident told the City Council he believes prolonged CSX train activity has degraded air quality in his neighborhood and asked the city to pursue testing and regulatory engagement.
Ed Scancarelli, who said he lives on South Church Street, described visible tree die-off along the tracks and reported frequent diesel odors in his home. "The eventual smell of diesel fuel is not only unpleasant, but dangerous," Scancarelli said, and added, "I survived lung cancer and have a concern over the reoccurrence from these fumes." He cited statistics attributed to the American Cancer Society about cancer rates in North Carolina and Edgecombe County, and asked the council to coordinate with the Environmental Protection Agency and use technology to detect harmful pollutants.
City Manager Elton Daniels responded that the city does not have enforcement authority over CSX operations but said he would obtain the name and contact information for the city's governmental liaison with CSX and follow up. Mayor (unnamed) offered to collect Scancarelli’s written notes and referred him to Chief Mercer for distribution to staff.
Council members asked questions about what the city can do and suggested partnering with organizations that conduct air quality studies, including the North Carolina Black Alliance and local activists experienced in environmental advocacy. No formal action or testing program was authorized at the meeting; council direction was limited to staff outreach to the CSX liaison.
