On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.
The derailment involved 38 rail cars, including 11 tank cars containing hazardous materials, which led to a fire and the release of toxic chemicals into the air, soil, and local waterways.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation determined that the cause of the derailment was a defective wheel bearing that overheated and failed. The crew did not receive adequate warning to stop the train before the bearing failure led to the derailment.
In the immediate aftermath, thousands of residents were forced to evacuate due to the hazardous chemical release1. The incident raised significant concerns about environmental contamination and potential long-term health effects for the local community.
It took Biden a full year before he visited the site of this massive environmental disaster.
Shortly after the incident, Biden’s minions assured area residents everything was fine. However, evidence from other sources suggested there were serious ongoing problems.
At the time, then-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 Biden’s EPA head Michael Regan should be willing to drink it.
Now, on the second anniversary of that dreadful accident, Vance returned as Vice President.
Vance was greeted on the tarmac by local and state leaders including Senator Jon Husted, Ohio Attorney General David Yost, Congressman Michael Rulli and Vivek Ramaswamey….Vance arrived in East Palestine about 12:45 p.m. where he was greeted by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and other local officials.East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick and Mayor Trent Conaway spoke with Vance near the derailment site before they made their way to the fire station where Vance took to the podium just before 2 p.m.Vance said he talked to President Trump about his upcoming visit and said that the President loves this community and that “it will not be forgotten.”“President Trump, me, and the entire Administration are committed to ensure to the people of East Palestine that the government does right by them, and we will be working in the months and the years to come,” Vance said.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit alleging for the first time that people died because of the disastrous 2023 East Palestine train derailment has been filed.
The new lawsuit that will be made public later on Monday contains the first seven wrongful death claims filed against Norfolk Southern railroad — including the death of a 1-week-old baby. It also alleges the railroad, and its contractors botched the cleanup while officials at the EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on it and failed to warn residents about the health risks. Many of the other parties in the lawsuit cite lingering, unexplained health problems along with concerns something more serious could develop.“Our clients want truth. They want transparency,” attorney Kristina Baehr said about the roughly 750 people she represents. “They want to know what they were exposed to, which has been hidden from them. They want to know what happened and why it happened. And they want accountability.”The lawsuit provides some examples of the lingering effects on families, but it doesn’t include details about the deaths.
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