A cleanup worker stands on a derailed tank car as the cleanup of portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed over a week ago in East Palestine, Ohio, continues, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
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FEMA sends team to Ohio
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) over the weekend dispatched a team to the town of East Palestine, Ohio, the site of a Feb. 3 train derailment.
FEMA on Saturday deployed a senior response official and a regional incident management assistance team to support ongoing operations. The agency’s regional administrator and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) stressed joint efforts in announcing the move.
“FEMA and the State of Ohio have been in constant contact regarding emergency operations in East Palestine. U.S. EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and Ohio EPA have been working together since day one,” DeWine and FEMA Regional Administrator Thomas Sivak said in a joint statement.
A freight train operated by Norfolk Southern Railroad derailed in the town on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border earlier this month. Materials spilled in the derailment included vinyl chloride, a hazardous substance used in the production of plastic.
While state and federal officials have said the local air and water is safe for humans, at least 3,500 fish have died in local waterways, and both DeWine and EPA Administrator Michael Regan have recommended the use of bottled water.
Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.
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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote to Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw on Sunday urging the company to support higher rail safety standards amid growing concerns about the environmental consequences of its train derailment in northeastern Ohio.
Lawmakers are doling out blame and demanding answers on the train derailment in Ohio. Legislators from both parties are expressing frustration and asking for more to be done, though Republicans in particular have put Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg directly in the hot seat.
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