US President Joe Biden on Friday directed federal agencies to go door-to-door in East Palestine, Ohio, to check on families affected by the toxic train derailment that has morphed into a heated political controversy.
Under Biden’s order, teams from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency were to visit homes beginning yesterday.
Workers were to ask how residents are doing, see what they need and connect them with appropriate resources from government and nonprofit organizations, the White House said.
Photo: AFP
The “walk teams” are modeled on similar teams following hurricanes and other natural disasters.
Biden directed employees to get to as many homes as possible by tomorrow, and officials said the immediate goal was to visit at least 400.
The president said he has no plans to personally visit Ohio.
The controversy has spread far beyond the Ohio town, as officials in Texas and Michigan expressed concern about contaminated wastewater and soil being transported to their states for disposal.
Biden’s order came as Republican US representatives opened an investigation into the Feb. 3 derailment, blaming US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg for what they said was a delayed response to the fiery wreck.
The focus on Buttigieg’s office came even though the EPA took charge of the federal response this week and ordered Norfolk Southern Railway to pay for the cleanup and chemical release.
Meanwhile, worried residents packed a high-school auditorium in East Palestine on Friday as environmental activist Erin Brockovich and attorneys warned of long-term health and environmental dangers from chemicals released after the train derailment.
“I feel worse,” said Brooke Hofmeister, a mother of two young children who said she feared for their health. “The truth is pretty scary.”
She and her husband, Cory Hofmeister, said they did not feel safe in their hometown and were uncertain about whether to remain, echoing concerns raised by many who attended the two-hour session, sponsored by East Palestine Justice, a group formed by Brockovich, lawyers and scientific and medical experts.
No one was injured when the 38 Norfolk Southern cars derailed in a fiery, mangled mess on the outskirts of town. As fears grew about a potential explosion, officials seeking to avoid an uncontrolled blast evacuated the area, and released and burned toxic vinyl chloride from five rail cars, sending flames and black smoke billowing into the sky again.
More than 2,000 people registered to attend the meeting on Friday, with the crowd spilling into the school gymnasium. Brockovich, who gained fame and was portrayed in a film for battling Pacific Gas & Electric Co over groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California, told the audience to fight for recognition and trust their instincts.
“You want to be heard, but you’re going to be told it’s safe, you’re going to be told not to worry,” Brockovich said. “That’s just rubbish, because you’re going to worry. Communities want to be seen and heard.”
Health and environmental risks will remain for years, she said.
“Don’t expect somebody to give you the answers. Unfortunately, this is not a quick fix. This is going to be a long game,” she said.
Brockovich and her associates are among a number of legal teams that have come to the area offering to talk with residents about potential litigation over the derailment. Several lawsuits already have been filed.
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