Despite the mainstream media’s attempt to paint President Joe Biden as a hero of freedom on President’s Day, several Republicans blasted him for going to Ukraine before visiting the chemical disaster site in East Palestine, Ohio.
‘When our border is in crisis, Joe Biden goes home to nap in Delaware. When Ohio burns with toxic chemicals, Biden’s admin says everything is fine. So on Presidents’ Day, I’m not surprised that Biden is ditching America for Ukraine,’ Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz complained on Twitter. ‘He ditched America’s interests since the start of his presidency. They can keep him!”Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had a similar take.’Biden didn’t go to East Palestine, Ohio on President’s Day. He went to Ukraine, a NON-NATO nation, whose leader is an actor and is apparently now commanding our United States military to world war,’ Greene tweeted. ‘We must impeach this America Last fool before it’s too late.’Other Republicans, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, suggested Biden cared more about Ukraine’s borders than those between the United States and Mexico.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg penned a “sharply worded letter” to the rail operator at the center of a hazardous train derailment.
In a sharply worded, three-page letter sent Sunday to Norfolk Southern Railway president and CEO Alan Shaw, Buttigieg accused the Atlanta-based company of repeatedly prioritizing profit over safety — a problematic ethos within the larger transportation industry that the secretary said has contributed to a number of derailments over the years.”The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials near East Palestine, Ohio, has upended the lives of numerous residents, many of whom continue to worry about their immediate health and safety as well as the long-term effects of the dangerous materials released near their homes,” Buttigieg said. “They fear for their future, as do thousands of American communities and neighborhoods that sit along railway lines.””The future must not resemble the past when it comes to your company’s and your industry’s follow-through on support for stringent safety policies,” he added.
US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan is heading back to East Palestine this week, as the agency assures everyone the water quality is fine…despite the fact Cincinnati has now joined Northern Kentucky in shutting off the intake from the Ohio River.
So far, air quality tests from more than 530 homes have not detected any dangerous levels of contaminants, and no results have exceed the limits of residential air quality standards, the EPA said. The EPA is offering indoor air screenings for any resident within the evacuation zone, the EPA spokesperson said.As for the water, the EPA said Monday that municipal water sample results “show no water quality concerns” in East Palestine. No vinyl chloride has been detected in any down-gradient waterways near the train derailment, EPA official Tiffani Kavalec told CNN last week.The state of Ohio is leading water sampling efforts, an EPA spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. The Columbiana County Health District is continuing to sample private water wells, the spokesperson added, and until results come back, the Ohio Department of Health continues to recommend residents use bottled water.In the meantime, Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky utilities reopened water intakes from the Ohio River that were shut off Sunday “as a precautionary measure,” according to news releases from the Greater Cincinnati Water Works and Northern Kentucky Water District.
Regan apparently had to cancel a star-studded trip to Africa for a climate summit to go to Ohio, which was still slated as late as Feb. 16.
Good to see that Regan seems to want to assist Americans, which would be a welcome change from the priorities of the head of the current administration.
At least six class action suits have been filed against Norfolk Southern by impacted residents since the accident.
For the most part, those suing the company allege that they’ve lost income due to evacuations, were exposed to cancer-causing chemicals and no longer feel safe in their homes.Norfolk Southern said it was “unable to comment directly on litigation.” But in a public update on Thursday, the company noted that in addition to its ongoing cleanup work, it was distributing more than $2 million in financial assistance to affected families and businesses to help with the costs of the evacuation, as well as creating a $1 million fund for the community.
A health clinic is being opened up in East Palestine for the residents. Reports indicate it will have registered nurses and mental health professionals.
A health clinic is set to open in East Palestine on Tuesday to assist residents following the train derailment earlier this month.The clinic will be located at First Church of Christ on W. Martin Street and operated by the Ohio Department of Health. According to the health department, it will have two assessment rooms inside the building, as well as a mobile unit parked outside.According to a news release, the site will have registered nurses and mental health specialists. Residents will also be able to speak to a toxicologist.
I sure hope the clinic will also have trained physicians and facilities to do blood and urine sampling and other health evaluations appropriate for those exposed to toxic chemicals.
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