Ohio governor calls failure of ‘high hazardous material’ designation absurd
Ohio #Ohio
(The Center Square) – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called the failure to designate a derailed train a high hazardous material threat absurd and wants Congress to take action.
The crash happened nearly two weeks ago in East Palestine, a village of just under 5,000 near the Pennsylvania border.
DeWine’s actions come as other officials push the Biden administration and Norfolk Southern for answers, changes and commitments as the East Palestine community continues to recover from both the derailment and the controlled release of toxic chemicals.
DeWine said at a news conference he learned from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio the train was not considered a high hazardous material threat because only 10 of the cars contained hazardous materials.
DeWine called on Congress to examine the issue.
“This is absurd and we need to look at this and Congress needs to look at how these things are handled,” DeWine said. “We should know when trains carrying hazardous material are coming through Ohio.”
On Wednesday, Sens. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Marco Rubio, R-Florida, sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg questioning DOT’s efforts to balance safety and hyper-efficiency. The two want questions about DOT’s oversight and Norfolk Southern’s business practices answered.
“In particular, we request information from the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding its oversight of the United States’ freight train system and, more generally, how it balances building a safe, resilient rail industry across our country in relation to building a hyper-efficient one with minimal direct human input,” the letter reads. “[I]t is not unreasonable to ask whether a crew of two rail workers, plus one trainee, is able to effectively monitor 150 cars.”
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, believes the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, should report findings and recommendations to Congress.
He also called for the federal EPA and the Ohio EPA to continue testing water supplies for the area and the Ohio River watershed, and wants the rail company held accountable.
“The EPA and OEPA need to ensure these families will have their homes and water supplies fully tested, and testing is needed to ensure the entire Ohio River watershed is safe. We will work to make sure that Norfolk Southern is held accountable and pays for cleanup and continued monitoring,” Brown said. “The NTSB is investigating what caused the accident in East Palestine and should tell Congress and the Department of Transportation what measures need to be put in place to avert future derailments involving hazardous materials. The NTSB’s investigation is independent, and the NTSB can tell us if concerns about railroad staffing and maintenance are factors in this accident.”
Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, sent a letter Tuesday to Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw, asking the company to look again at its criteria for reimbursement for disaster-related expenses associated with the derailment.
“People I’ve spoken with in the area are fearful. They are wondering about the future and looking for answers – and assurances they aren’t going to be forgotten. I’ve also heard from many residents who live just outside the one-mile evacuation perimeter who also evacuated out of an abundance of caution but are not currently eligible for reimbursement for disaster-related expenses. The people of East Palestine deserve an explanation from the very top of Norfolk Southern as to what metrics were used to determine the boundaries of the evacuation perimeter,” Johnson said in a news release. “The bottom line is this: the entire village was impacted, and I encourage Norfolk Southern to strongly consider reimbursement for all East Palestine residents.”
DeWine said he spoke with Shaw on Tuesday morning and said Shaw gave his word the company would stay in the community until everything was cleaned up.
DeWine also said he received a call Tuesday from President Biden, who told the governor the federal government was available for what the state needed.
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Tags: Ohio, Governor, Train, Transportation, Health
Original Author: By J.D. Davidson | The Center Square
Original Location: Ohio governor calls failure of ‘high hazardous material’ designation absurd