(NewsNation) — Four months after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, spilling toxic chemicals into the air, water and soil, residents are still left in limbo.

The train was carrying tanker cars full of hazardous materials, including highly combustible vinyl chloride. Officials performed a controlled burn of those cars in order to prevent a potential explosion. That burn released chemicals into the environment, leaving many in the area concerned about the safety of returning home.

Rick and Tammy Tsai said they don’t believe reassurances from the Environmental Protection Agency that the air is safe for people to return home. They are also concerned about water in area creeks that remains contaminated.

“I got really sick when I started filming in the creeks,” Rick Tsai said.

Independent testing has shown the presence of chemicals in the soil and furnace filters in homes near the crash site. The Tsais said they are skeptical of the $25 million Norfolk Southern has donated to beautify the town, saying the money would be better spent on furnace filters and air purifiers for residents.

“If you donate for that, then Norfolk Southern would put the attention back on the toxic mess that’s here,” Rick Tsai said.

Many residents remain displaced, too concerned about the potential long-term impacts of chemical exposure to return to their homes.

“That is a problem, if you can’t be in your home after five months because you don’t feel safe or you get sick when you get into the house,” Tammy Tsai said.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been holding hearings to investigate factors that may have played a role in the derailment.