WATCH LIVE: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine holds press conference after East Palestine train derailment
Rachel Schilke
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Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) is holding a press conference in the wake of a freight derailment in Ohio that released hazardous chemicals and prompted evacuations for Ohio and Pennsylvania residents.
The 50-car derailment occurred at about 9 p.m. on Feb. 4, as the train was heading to Conway, Pennsylvania, from Madison, Illinois. Ohio authorities planned a controlled release of the toxic fumes into the air, leading DeWine to ask residents around East Palestine near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border to evacuate.
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“You need to leave. You just need to leave. This is a matter of life and death,” DeWine said at the time.
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) also asked state residents near the border, 20 in all, to evacuate. East Palestine is a village in eastern Ohio with a population of about 4,700 people.
The smoke contained deadly chemicals such as vinyl chloride, phosgene, hydrogen chloride, and other gases. Authorities used a small charge to blow a hole in the cars, allowing the materials to go into a trench and burn off to be released into the air, per Norfolk Southern Railway.
Federal investigators believe the derailment was caused by a mechanical problem with a car axle.
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Residents have expressed concern over the chemicals’ effect on animals, while Republican lawmakers have expressed their displeasure at the federal government overlooking the incident due to the presence of a Chinese spy balloon in U.S. airspace. The military shot it down the same day the derailment occurred.
The press conference will be held at 3 p.m. on Feb. 14.