Ohio train derailment: Biden deploys HHS to East Palestine ‘to conduct public health testing’
Christian Datoc
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The Biden administration announced Friday that the Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will deploy a team of medical personnel and toxicologists to East Palestine, Ohio, “to conduct public health testing and assessments” following the Feb. 3 rail derailment.
In addition to HHS, the response effort will loop in the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
LAWMAKERS ASK FEMA WHY OHIO CAN’T GET ASSISTANCE
All 17 members of Ohio’s congressional delegation wrote a letter to FEMA Thursday demanding answers to why the agency denied an aid request from Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH).
“It is our understanding that Governor DeWine’s Administration has been in communication with your agency about the need for federal support to assist with the cleanup of the Norfolk Southern train derailment and subsequent chemical fire that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3,” the letter reads.
“Despite the severity of the wreckage, chemical release, and the disruption to the lives of local residents, we have just been informed that Ohio apparently does not meet the eligibility for FEMA assistance at this time,” the lawmakers continued. “We respectfully request that you provide a detailed response as to why the residents of this community do not qualify for assistance from your agency.”
The administration said the new HHS and CDC teams are being deployed in direct response to DeWine’s request for aid.
Administration officials briefed reporters on the “robust multi-agency” effort to assist affected communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania and “hold Norfolk Southern accountable” for the accident.
The EPA, which was deployed to the scene “hours” after the derailment, has not detected “any levels of health concern” after the fires were extinguished on Feb. 8, officials say.
The agency’s initial analysis included 500 homes in East Palestine and will continue to offer screening for all residents and will also be testing soil and water downstream from the affected areas.
Officials say that Norfolk Southern is cooperating with the federal government’s investigation but added that the administration will seek to hold the company fully liable under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Meanwhile, the DOT is leading the investigation into what specifically caused the train to crash on Feb. 3. Officials from the department noted the importance of conducting routine brake inspections and other Federal Railroad Administration audits of operating companies that ceased during the Trump administration.
The Biden administration, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in particular, have been heavily criticized by both parties for the initial federal response to the disaster.