I spent the week in East Palestine, Ohio where I got to see, hear, and smell the direct results of the toxic train derailment that left residents of the town in fear for their lives, as the federal government ignored them for weeks.
Upon arriving in the small town, signs reading “East Palestine Lives Matter” could be seen hanging in the windows of now closed local businesses. American flags were flown upside down, a universal sign of “dire distress.”
Large water pumps were also dispersed throughout the city which continuously pumped water out of local creeks. As of now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is still standing by their statement that the air and water is safe for residents; however, the creek I visited smelled so strongly of chemicals that it left me with a headache.
Residents extensively detailed their short and long-term health concerns, sharing that dead animals, hives, rashes, trouble breathing and pneumonia were common signs and symptoms among the community. After a town hall with local officials, residents are still in the dark regarding which chemicals were spilled onto their land and burned into the surrounding air.
“Since the Saturday after the derailment my step-daughter started developing a rash,” one mother explained. She went on to share that her daughter hasn’t even been in East Palestine and that they lived 3.5 miles downstream from the town. “So she hasn’t even been close to it and she’s having this reaction,” she continued.
For almost three weeks, the response from the federal government has been limited; however, the EPA recently ordered the company responsible to “identify and clean up contaminated soil and water resources.”
While I was there, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, made his long-awaited appearance to the town. The streets were mostly empty when I walked up to Secretary Buttigieg, and the only people around were Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials and one local news crew.
I immediately asked why it took him almost three weeks to visit the city. He walked away with no response. I then asked if he would apologize to residents for the delayed federal response, to which his Press Secretary told me she could answer my questions — off camera.
I caught up with the Secretary once more to ask if he thought he did a good job in response to this disaster, to which he responded, “Yes” — he felt the Department of Transportation had done a good job.
It was clear that residents of East Palestine felt abandoned by the federal agencies designed specifically to provide aid in disastrous situations.
