The Forgotten Victims of the East Palestine Derailment : Revisiting Ohio with Louis DeAngelis https://t.co/PnStBns2eZ
— James Miller (@realMeetJames) April 19, 2023
The Incident
In the small town of East Palestine, a catastrophic train derailment has left a scar that stretches half a mile across the heart of the community. The aftermath of the incident has not only physically marred the landscape but also raised serious concerns about the health and safety of the residents.
The Fallout
The derailment resulted in a significant contamination of the soil and the local creeks. Despite efforts to remove the contaminated soil and aerate the water to separate it from the chemicals, the air and water in the town remain tainted. Residents living near the creeks, like Chrissy Ferguson, still experience symptoms such as burning eyes, sore throats, and headaches, indicative of the lingering chemical contamination.
Folks in East Palestine STILL dealing with
— Louis DeAngelis (@louisd217) May 2, 2023
✅ Health Effects
✅ Issues at the "Assistance Center"
✅ Difficult to Understand Test Results
✅ Gaslighting from Federal Agencies
One thing they're not getting is ANSWERS!
EPA, The Governor & others need to get their act together!
The Response from Norfolk Southern
The response from Norfolk Southern, the company responsible for the derailment, has been largely negative. Residents seeking assistance were required to go through a convoluted process, providing numerous documents to prove their residency. The company’s assistance center was inconveniently located in a different town, and the number of people they were able to see each day was insufficient for the size of the affected community. The process was described as a constant shifting of goalposts, with residents often having to return multiple times due to unclear messaging about the required documents.
The Government’s Role
The government’s response to the incident has also been criticized. The White House remained silent for three weeks following the derailment. When Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary of Transportation, finally visited East Palestine, his visit was brief and early in the morning, seemingly to avoid any potential backlash from the community. The lack of a strong, timely response from the government has left the residents of East Palestine feeling neglected and unheard.
The Call for Accountability
The East Palestine derailment is a stark reminder of the potential dangers of deregulation and the need for accountability in the face of disaster. The residents of East Palestine deserve answers, assistance, and, most importantly, justice. The incident serves as a call to action for stronger safety regulations, more transparent testing processes, and a more empathetic and effective response from both corporations and the government.
