EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan tried to reassure residents during a Thursday visit to the area concerned about the aftereffects of the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train, saying he would feel comfortable returning to the area based on results of ongoing air and water testing.
“I trust the science. I trust the methodology,” Regan told reporters, according to a report by Cleveland.com. “I want this community to know, they don’t have to manage this issue on their own. We are going to get through this as a team. And at the same time, we are absolutely going to hold Norfolk Southern accountable.”
The EPA continues to make home screenings available for those who want air testing within their residences, is working with the Ohio EPA and local agencies to ensure those who rely on private wells can get their water tested, and urged those experiencing health issues they think are related to the derailment to contact public health authorities.
In other developments:
— U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron), the only Ohio member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said in a statement that she has asked the committee’s Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials to hold a hearing to “investigate” the East Palestine derailment.
In a letter to subcommittee Chairman Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.), asked for the hearing “provide clarity on the origin of this accident, identify all avenues available to support the people and communities most impacted, and determine how to implement guard rails and preventative measures to stop a disaster like this from happening again.”
— Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has requested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention send medical experts to East Palestine “to evaluate and counsel members of the community who have questions and/or are experiencing symptoms” in the wake of the derailment and chemical release. WKYC-TV reports DeWine made the request in a letter to the CDC, writing that some residents “have already seen physicials in the area but remain concerned about their condition and possible health effects, both short- and long-term.”
Ohio’s two U.S. senators, Sherrod Brown (D) and JD Vance (R), along with Sykes and U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, the Republican whose district includes East Palestine, co-authored a letter to the CDC and Department of Health and Human Services reinforcing the governor’s request and outlining a half-dozen ways for Health and Human Services to participate, including “an epidemiological assessment so that members of the East Palestine community and surrounding area have accurate information on the potential health impacts” of the chemicals released.
— Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw released an open letter to the residents of East Palestine on Thursday in which he vowed that the railroad “will stay here for as long as it takes to ensure your safety and to help East Palestine recover and thrive.”
Shaw said the railroad has established a $1 million community support fund “as a down payment on our commitment to help rebuild” — more information on that is available here — and promised to offer continued updates.
“I know there are still a lot of questions without answers,” Shaw wrote. “I know you’re tired. I know you’re worried. We will not let you down.”
The railroad also updated its ongoing cleanup and community assistance efforts, which include removal of 3,150 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 942,000 gallons of contaminants and contaminated liquid from the accident site. Other actions include more than $1.7 million in direct financial assistance to families and businesses, it said.
— Presidential Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a Thursday media briefing that the Biden administration is “going to try to figure out an answer to what occurred” in East Palestine.
“We’re going to hold Norfolk Southern accountable,” Jean-Pierre said. “And right now … our message to the folks in Ohio, in that area, is to listen to your state and local officials. It’s important to listen to them, to allow them to do their work. And we are going to do everything that we can to keep that community and healthy and safe and get to the bottom of this as well.”
Jean-Pierre also noted that DeWine had asked for additional public health assistance and said, “We’re deploying teams from HHS and the CDC now.”
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