I recently noted that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan came to East Palestine, Ohio nearly two weeks after the toxic train derailment that has devastated the region.
It appears now that, as I predicted, the disaster is so catastrophic that some political fallout is now raining down on Biden officials. Regan’s prolonged absence on the scene of a true climate catastrophe has been noted, and the Biden administration is beginning to be blasted even by those on the left.
His visit came amid daily headline news coverage depicting angry residents and Republican and Democratic criticism of the federal government’s response that had the White House on the defensive.Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota called directly on Buttigieg to “address the tragedy” and ensure it “never happens again.”And West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, whose state borders Ohio, on Thursday called the delay in a top-level administration response “unacceptable.”“While I am glad EPA Administrator Regan will visit the site today, it is unacceptable that it took nearly two weeks for a senior Administration official to show up. I urge President Biden, Administrator Regan, and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg to provide a complete picture of the damage and a comprehensive plan to ensure the community is supported in the weeks, months and years to come, and this sort of accident never happens again,” he said in a statement.
Government officials are desperately assuring everyone the situation is under control. These are some of the more recent results published by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency:
East Palestine Public Drinking Water Testing ResultsThese preliminary results we have received so far confirm that, as Mayor Conaway has said, there is no indication of risk to East Palestine Public Water customers. Future updates will be posted as information becomes available.Ohio River SamplingThe latest water sample results of the Ohio River by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission indicate no butyl acrylate is being detected. In addition, no vinyl chloride has been detected in the Ohio River….
However, evidence from other sources suggest there are serious problems remaining. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) checked out a creek in the impacted area . . . and suggested that if the tap water were safe to drink, perhaps EPA head Regan should be willing to drink it.
“This is disgusting. The fact that we have not cleaned up the train crash, the fact that these chemicals are still seeping in the ground is an insult to the people who live in East Palestine. Do not forget these people, we’ve got to keep applying pressure,” Vance said….Vance said the first step is to make sure the safety of the community is taken care of as well as clean-up efforts. He said then they will make sure they are holding those responsible for who caused the derailment.When asked if the tap water is safe and if he would drink it, Vance said he’d be drinking bottled water for the time being.”I think if the EPA administrator wants to stand here and tell people that the tap water is safe by all means, they should be willing to drink it,” Vance said.
The UK’s Daily Mail interviewed Nathan and Kelly Izotic, whose property was engulfed in the black cloud generated by the controlled burn of the chemicals in the derailed tank cars. They are still having health effects, for which there are no adequate tests, and their property is a wasteland.
The massive acrid black cloud that spewed from the fiery wreck engulfed Nathan and Kelly Izotic’s property within 24 hours of the February 3 disaster, carried by a westerly wind.. . . . As DailyMail.com walked with them through their woodland as they tested toxicity levels in the brook, chemical lab technician Kelly revealed: ‘We had red and gray squirrels through this property, constantly chitter chattering to each other. It was pretty loud.’And now there are none. They’ve gone completely because of the toxicity all around them right here.’There’s no small birds either. They were everywhere, but they’ve taken off. That must tell you something.’. . . . Nathan continued: ‘I woke up about 6am after the night we evacuated and I was on the verge of calling the ER. I was coughing up blood.’All I could think of was to strip down and cool myself off and go outside to get some relief. I was hot all over. I was very tired.’It was until Thursday or Friday that week until I started to feel some relief. Coming back here now though my lips are starting to get tingly again and I feel a scratch in my throat and I’m getting headaches.’Kelly added: ‘We were at the doctor yesterday and they said they don’t even have a toxicology test to be able to test us because they still don’t know what they are dealing with.’So they can’t even test us – all they can do is treat symptoms. It’s terrifying.’
The Biden administration turned down a request for federal disaster assistance from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) told Ohio’s state government that it was not eligible for disaster assistance to help the community recover from the toxic spill, Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for DeWine, told Fox News Digital on Thursday. Tierney explained that FEMA believed the incident didn’t qualify as a traditional disaster, such as a tornado or hurricane, for which it usually provides assistance.
However, the administration appears to be moving toward designating the area as a “Superfund” site, so federal monies can be directed at remediation activities.
Norfolk Southern agreed to cover all cleanup costs after EPA sent a notice of potential liability, citing its authority to issue a legally binding order under the federal Superfund law — the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act.This is not the first time EPA has tangled with Norfolk Southern: In 2005,two trains collided in Graniteville, S.C., releasing a poisonous chlorine vapor cloud that killed nine people and led to the evacuation of 5,000 others. In 2010, the company agreed to pay a $4 million fine for the spill.
During his press event Regan said: “We’re trusting the science. We believe that we are looking at the proper [evacuation] radius to ensure we’re protecting public health.”
We just had three years of ‘trusting the science,’ which has led to devastation on a societal scale. Unfortunately, it appears that the administration is going to hide behind narrative science, which will result in devastation for the impacted region that may cascade into effects felt throughout the nation.
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