East Palestine Archives - The Ohio Star

Biden Still Hasn’t Visited Derailment Area; Pennsylvania Legislators Wish He Would

April 17, 2023April 16, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Well over two months have passed since a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, less than a mile from Pennsylvania’s border, and President Joe Biden hasn’t visited affected communities in either state. Pennsylvania lawmakers are urging him to do so.

Six weeks ago Biden said he would “be out there at some point.” The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether he has yet scheduled a visit. (Biden’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg first went to the site more than two weeks after the derailment.)

Nearly Half of Fed Investigators at East Palestine Train Derailment Briefly Fell Ill: CDC

April 3, 2023 Just the News

Seven of the 15 government investigators who studied the possible health effects of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment briefly fell ill while at the site, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The investigators, who were part of a team from the agency’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, experienced sore throats, coughing, nausea and headaches in early March, CNN reported Friday.

CDC Investigators Got Sick While Probing Ohio Toxic Train Derailment

April 1, 2023 Ohio Star Staff

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials investigating potential health impacts in a small Ohio town impacted by a toxic train derailment became ill during their study, CNN reported.

Seven CDC members reported sore throats, headaches, coughing and nausea while in East Palestine, Ohio, weeks after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in early February and a controlled burn leaked hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, into the environment, the CDC told CNN on Thursday. The CDC members’ symptoms are consistent with health complaints reported by residents and first responders.

Norfolk Southern CEO Tells Pennsylvania Senate Panel State Authorities Were ‘Aligned’ on Vent-and-Burn

March 21, 2023March 20, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Norfolk Southern Corp. Chief Executive Officer Alan Shaw told Pennsylvania lawmakers on Monday that the response to February’s Ohio train derailment “worked” and that state officials thoroughly backed it.

Shaw’s appearance before the state Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee came about as a result of a subpoena earlier this month after the rail-company executive initially declined to speak to the panel. Senators also subpoenaed the corporation’s internal communications related to the wreck, some of which committee Chair Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg) said have been turned over and others of which he says he still awaits.

Ohio Sues Norfolk Southern over East Palestine Train Derailment

March 14, 2023 Just the News

The state of Ohio this week announced a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern in connection with the February derailment of one of its trains near the town of East Palestine. Attorney General Dave Yost filed the suit on Tuesday, contending that the railroad violated state and federal laws, among them the Ohio Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), CNN reported. The Feb. 3 derailment saw toxic materials leak from the railcars and force an evacuation of the town. Authorities were later forced to implement a controlled release of the toxic materials to prevent an explosion.

Commentary: Pro-Market Reforms Lead to Fewer Chemical Spills

March 14, 2023 Admin

The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio has attracted the ire and attention of the public and government officials. Unfortunately, train disasters are just one of many contributors to the threat posed by environmental contamination. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data analyzed by The Guardian, the U.S. is averaging one chemical accident every two days. Some of the top culprits are water treatment plants, which regularly use hazardous inputs such as chlorine and sulfur dioxide in their operations. (Mostly) government-owned plants fail to place proper safeguards on these chemicals, resulting in dangerous exposures to the public. Policymakers should consider alternative approaches that incentivize careful treatment operations at affordable prices for consumers.

Ohio Think Tank Asks Court to Let States Deal with Water Pollution

March 6, 2023March 5, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

On Friday, a Columbus, Ohio-based think tank submitted a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court asking justices to allow states to enforce against water pollution, pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act (CWA).

The 1972 law set up a permitting system for corporate or infrastructural projects that result in the discharge of pollutant materials into rivers, streams or other bodies of water. Under the act, states may undertake their own permitting programs. But last July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a ruling that South Carolina’s program is not strong enough to supersede the federal permit process and therefore citizen lawsuits can effectively nullify the state program.

Republican National Committee Criticizes President’s Biden Weekend Trip to Delaware amid East Palestine Train Derailment Disaster

March 4, 2023 Kaitlin Housler

President Joe Biden departed the White House Friday en route to Delaware for the 66th time since taking office this weekend, which drew criticism from the Republican National Committee (RNC). According to the RNC, Biden has spent approximately 40 percent of his presidency “on vacation,” with this weekend marking his 306th, 307th, and 308th total vacation days. Of that 40 percent, the RNC noted that Biden has spent 55 of 110 weekends in Delaware.

Commentary: Amtrak Joe Fails on Rail Issues

March 4, 2023 Ohio Star Staff

The ongoing health and environmental disaster unfolding in East Palestine, OH is another example of abdicated leadership by the Biden Administration on critical issues facing America’s railways. Fumbled labor negotiations precipitating the near miss of a nationwide rail strike that would have brought the transport of 19.3 billion tons of annual goods to a standstill, on top of ongoing supply chain snarls which contribute to the freight rates spiking as much as 37% year over year are two such examples. All Americans are suffering the consequences of their failing choices. Leadership is desperately needed.

The Wellness Company Pledges Free Medical Care for Victims of East Palestine Train Derailment

March 1, 2023February 28, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

“It is clear at this point that the government is absolutely unwilling or unable to assist the men, women, and children of East Palestine, Ohio” said Foster Coulson, founder and chairman of The Wellness Company (TWC), in a press statement Monday.

East Palestine Area Residents Living Under Cloud of Uncertainty Since Train Derailment

March 1, 2023February 28, 2023 M.D. Kittle

Don Hauenstein is a Purple Heart Vietnam Veteran who spent a dozen years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He told The Ohio Star he’s never seen anything like the cloud of hazardous materials that hit his hometown nearly a month ago after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed.

Worse, the retired East Palestine, Ohio, resident said he and many of his fellow community members believe their government isn’t telling the truth about the dangers that exist.

The Wellness Company Pledges Free Medical Care for Victims of East Palestine Train Derailment

February 28, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

A new virtual healthcare system that embraces both medical freedom and affordable services has announced its pledge to provide free medical care for the victims of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. “It is clear at this point that the government is absolutely unwilling or unable to assist the men, women, and children of East Palestine, Ohio” said Foster Coulson, founder and chairman of The Wellness Company (TWC), in a press statement Monday.

Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance Pushes PPP-Style Relief for East Palestine Businesses Following Train Derailment

February 27, 2023February 27, 2023 Kaitlin Housler

Ohio Senator JD Vance (R-OH) published an opinion piece in The Washington Post this week detailing the extent of support and investment needed for the Ohio town of East Palestine to rebuild following the February 3rd derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals.

EPA to Resume Hazardous Waste Cleanup at East Palestine Train Derailment Site Following Brief Pause

February 27, 2023February 26, 2023 Kaitlin Housler

The EPA has announced that cleanup and removal of hazardous waste from the East Palestine, Ohio site where a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic materials derailed on February 3rd will resume on Monday following a brief pause.

Ohioans Brace for Tough Road Ahead After Toxic Train Derailment

February 26, 2023February 26, 2023 Admin

Prominent environmentalist Erin Brockovich hosted a packed town hall meeting in East Palestine, Ohio, to give information to local residents affected by a Norfolk Southern train derailment which released toxic chemicals into the town earlier this month, the Daily Caller News Foundation observed.

Still Recovering from the COVID Lockdowns, Toxic Train Derailment Hits Ohio Businesses

February 26, 2023February 26, 2023 Admin

While a small Ohio town works to recover after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed earlier this month and polluted the air and water, local shop owners are worried about the financial impact that the disaster will have on their businesses as customers appear to shy away from the market district.

Texas, Michigan Officials Say They Weren’t Warned Before Receiving Contaminated Ohio Soil, Water

February 26, 2023February 26, 2023 Just the News

Officials in Texas and Michigan said they were not informed before their states received shipments of contaminated water and soil from East Palestine, Ohio, where a train derailed with toxic chemicals and caused a public health and environmental crisis earlier this month.

Train Company Hit with Class Action Lawsuit After Toxic Derailment in Ohio

February 25, 2023February 25, 2023 Admin

Ohio residents filed a class action lawsuit on Thursday against the railroad company Norfolk Southern after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in early February and cast a toxic plume of chemicals over the town and polluted the air and water, according to the lawsuit’s text. Johnson and Johnson, a Youngstown, Ohio, based firm and Hagens Berman represent residents within a 30 mile radius of the East Palestine crash site, according to the lawsuit’s text. Residents reported various health concerns including headaches and rashes and worry about the long-term impact that the derailment could have on the community.

Toxic Train Derailment Killed More than 43,000 Aquatic Animals, Department Says

February 25, 2023 Admin

Officials estimate that more than 43,000 aquatic animals were killed after a Norfolk Southern train derailed earlier this month in eastern Ohio, causing toxic chemicals to be released into the air and water, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNTR) announced Thursday.

Residents began reporting incidents of dead fish floating in local creeks after a controlled burn was performed to prevent an explosion from train cars carrying toxic chemicals including vinyl chloride. The total estimate was calculated based on observations on Feb. 6 and 7, DTNR Director Mary Mertz said, according to Fox 8.

Commentary: Ohio Train Derailment Shows We Need an America First Infrastructure Policy Now More than Ever

February 25, 2023 Admin

After the massive train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, our nation’s infrastructure issues are now top of mind for many American citizens. While East Palestine experienced a landmark environmental disaster after nearly 50 train cars were derailed, Biden administration officials remained silent for weeks. The derailment demonstrated a fact that is all too apparent in recent months: America’s infrastructure is being neglected, and the Biden administration’s policies are not the answer to the problems we face.

Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Blasts DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg for ‘Tokenizing’ People of Ohio

February 24, 2023 M.D. Kittle

Ohio resident and newly announced Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy at a campaign stop in Iowa criticized President Joe Biden’s transportation chief for “leadership from behind.” “It’s sort of a token gesture, sort of a cascade of tokenism,” Ramaswamy told The Iowa Star at a campaign stop Thursday in Ankeny.

Pennsylvania Residents Speak to State Senate About Ill Effects of Train Burn

February 23, 2023 Patrick Ahern

Western Pennsylvanians who live near the site of the February 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment and subsequent burn went before a State Senate Committee Thursday to state that the event is causing deleterious health consequences. The 53-car train derailed in the village of East Palestine, Ohio, less than a mile from where the Buckeye State abuts Beaver County in Pennsylvania. In the crash’s aftermath, the train company proceeded to burn five rail cars containing vinyl chloride, a course of action company officials said would avert a potentially disastrous explosion. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) initially supported what has been called the “controlled burn” but has subsequently blasted Norfolk Southern for its handling of the incident, particularly its decision to burn five cars; Shapiro asserted he was only told one car would be incinerated.

Pennsylvania State Senator Holds Hearing with Testimony from Those Affected by East Palestine Disaster

February 23, 2023 Admin

State Senator Doug Mastriano (R-Adams/Franklin), along with fellow lawmakers held a bipartisan hearing Thursday in order to gather testimony directly from those Pennsylvanians affected by the train derailment in nearby East Palestine, Ohio.

Commentary: Pleas from East Palestine, Ohio

February 23, 2023 Admin

We are broadcasting live today from a packed house of about 300 local western Pennsylvania residents at the Community College of Beaver County in Monaca, just 21 miles from the site of East Palestine, Ohio’s toxic chemical spill disaster. This is the scene of the first public hearing on the East Palestine chemical catastrophe, led by PA State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg), Chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

Ohio State Senator Blasts Biden for Prioritizing Ukraine over Americans Affected by Derailment

February 22, 2023February 22, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

State Senator Michael Rulli (R-OH-Salem) this week castigated President Joe Biden for failing to visit East Palestine, Ohio in the aftermath of the train derailment and controlled toxic chemical burn.

Speaking on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton radio show, Rulli described the president’s failure to visit communities surrounding the site where a 53-car train crashed on February 3. Rail company Norfolk Southern subsequently conducted a controlled vent and burn of five of the rail cars containing vinyl chloride. Biden did however visit Ukraine and Poland early this week to express his ongoing support for Ukraine’s military struggle against Russian encroachment — a trip that didn’t escape the state lawmaker’s notice.

Five Questions Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw Refuses to Answer About Vinyl Chloride Controlled Burn Decision at Ohio Train Derailment

February 21, 2023 Michael Patrick Leahy

Norfolk Southern Corp. CEO Alan Shaw failed to answer five key questions posed to him by The Star News Network on Monday about the February 6 controlled burn of vinyl chloride conducted at the East Palestine, Ohio site of his company’s February 3 trail derailment.

PA Gov. Shapiro Blasts ‘Corporate Greed and Incompetence’ of Norfolk Southern at Site of East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment; OH Gov. DeWine and EPA Administrator Michael Regan Also Speak

February 21, 2023February 21, 2023 Kaitlin Housler

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro traveled to East Palestine, Ohio on Tuesday to participate in a joint news conference with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and EPA Administrator Michael Regan regarding ongoing concerns surrounding the recent derailment of a Norfolk Southern train.

EPA Takes over Management of Ohio Train Accident, Orders Railway to Clean Up Toxic Spill

February 21, 2023 Just the News

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced that it would be seizing oversight of the ongoing Ohio train derailment disaster, ordering the company behind the incident to submit to an EPA-approved cleanup plan as part of its management of the crisis. The EPA said in a press release that it would “approve a workplan outlining all steps necessary to clean up the environmental damage caused by the derailment.”

EPA Administrator Michael Regan to Visit East Palestine, Ohio After Trip to Africa ‘Postponed’

February 21, 2023 Michael Patrick Leahy

EPA Administrator Michael Regan tweeted late Monday that he will visit East Palestine, Ohio on Tuesday. The news represents a change of plans for Regan, who was scheduled to leave on Saturday, February 18 for a seven day climate tour of Africa.

Ohio Senators JD Vance and Sherrod Brown Send Joint Letter Requesting Dioxin Monitoring Plans For East Palestine from the EPA

February 21, 2023February 20, 2023 Kaitlin Housler

Over the weekend, Ohio Senators JD Vance (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) worked together in sending a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – both at the federal and state level – requesting that the agencies provide their plans to monitor East Palestine and surrounding areas for dioxins following the February 3rd derailment of a Norfolk Southern train.

Ohio Department of Health Announces Opening of Clinic in East Palestine

February 20, 2023 Just the News

The Ohio Department of Health announced this week the opening of a health clinic in East Palestine to assist with those harmed by the toxic chemicals from the Norfolk Southern train derailment. “Registered nurses and mental health specialists will be on hand. A toxicologist will either be on site or available by phone,” the Ohio Department of Health said in a statement.

Trump Blasts Biden for Choosing Ukraine on President’s Day Over Ohio: ‘They Were Abandoned’

February 20, 2023 Just the News

Former President Donald Trump on Monday blasted Joe Biden for spending President’s Day with Ukrainians rather than the victims of a devastating train wreck in Ohio, suggesting it sent a powerful message of neglect to voters in a key election battleground state.

Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro: Norfolk Southern Conducted Controlled Burn of Vinyl Chloride After Withholding Vital Information

February 20, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) distanced himself further from Norfolk Southern in a press statement released on Thursday regarding decision-making following the February 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, one quarter-mile west of Beaver County in Pennsylvania.

Trump to Visit Ohio Town After Toxic Train Derailment

February 18, 2023February 18, 2023 Admin

Former President Donald Trump will visit East Palestine, Ohio, on Wednesday after a train derailment caused a toxic chemical plume to pollute the town, a source familiar with the plan told Fox News. Trump will visit with members of the community who are dealing with the aftermath of a Norfolk Southern train derailment that occurred earlier this month, the source told Fox News. The derailment led to the evacuation of nearly 2,000 residents before a controlled release was performed to prevent an explosion, which subsequently released a hazardous mixture of chemicals into the air and water.

HHS, CDC to Deploy Toxicologists to East Palestine amid Train Derailment Fallout

February 18, 2023February 17, 2023 Just the News

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will send toxicologists to a struggling Ohio town in the wake of a major train derailment and the release of hazardous materials from its railcars.

A Norfolk Southern train earlier this month derailed near the town of East Palestine, forcing authorities to evacuate the town and orchestrate a controlled release of the toxic materials from the train to prevent an explosion.

Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro Was for the Controlled Burn of the Derailed Train Before He Was Against It

February 16, 2023 Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s opposition to Norfolk Southern Corp.’s handling of its East Palestine, Ohio train derailment contrasts strongly with his initial satisfaction with the controlled vent and burn of the rail vehicle’s toxic cargo.

Woke ESG Management Fund BlackRock Owns 6 Percent of Norfolk Southern, Whose Train Derailed in Ohio

February 16, 2023February 16, 2023 Michael Patrick Leahy

BlackRock owns more than 6 percent of Norfolk Southern Railway, the huge railway company whose train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3, causing what many are describing as an ecological and health disaster for residents of Ohio and nearby Pennsylvania. Fintel.io reports that as of February 16, 2023, BlackRock owns 6.8 percent of Norfolk Southern Railway.

Pennsylvania Governor Blasts Norfolk Southern for ‘Vent and Burn’ Plan In Aftermath of Train Derailment

February 15, 2023February 15, 2023 M.D. Kittle

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is blasting Norfolk Southern Corp. for its handling of a Feb. 3 train derailment that spewed Hazardous chemicals in in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania state line.

Ohio Governor and EPA Provide Update on Train Derailment in East Palestine

February 14, 2023February 14, 2023 Just the News

Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio held a press conference on Tuesday to provide an update on the train that derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, along the Ohio Pennsylvania border on Feb. 3, and the controlled burn that has turned into a Hazmat situation. The decision to do this controlled explosion he said was basically made between bad options that they had. They believed that one of these cars was going to explode. Addressing the environmental concerns, DeWine said that the Ohio and U.S. Environmental are working to slow the flow of contaminated water.

Senator JD Vance Issues Statement on the East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment

February 13, 2023February 13, 2023 Kaitlin Housler

Ohio Senator JD Vance (R-OH) issued a statement Monday with questions regarding the 50-car freight train transporting hazardous goods that crashed earlier this month near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The crash was treated with a controlled release of chemicals to prevent an explosion.