COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Protesters gathered at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, demanding Gov. Mike DeWine declare a state of emergency in East Palestine.

The protest comes one day after DeWine requested a disaster declaration extension from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) about the February train derailment.

Members of the group Unity Council for East Palestine Train Derailment said the conditions in East Palestine are still not safe.

FEMA has already said the small eastern Ohio town does not qualify for traditional aid.

Some residents said they’ve been forgotten.

“They came in to see the explosion and then everyone left,” said East Palestine resident Jami Wallace. “You know, we are still here suffering four and a half months later. We’re still having symptoms. Our kids are still sitting in these toxic chemical soup that Norfolk Southern created. We can’t keep waiting and that’s why now is the time to take action.”

The extension filed by the governor ensures that if East Palestine qualifies for FEMA aid in the future, it gets it.

Right now, that aid is set to expire on July 3, but DeWine has asked for a 120-day extension beyond that.