Gov. Mike DeWine (R) on Monday requested that President Joe Biden make a major disaster declaration in Ohio over the fiery train derailment in East Palestine earlier this year.
In a letter to Biden this week, DeWine said at the moment “no unmet needs have been reported to the State,” because of the “voluntary actions” of railroad giant Norfolk Southern.
“The possibility remains that the voluntary support provided by Norfolk Southern could at some point in the future cease, and this Declaration is needed to ensure that the State and Federal government use all resources available to step in and provide the community with needed assistance,” the governor added.
If the company, for instance, were found not liable for damages in the town or new leadership were to step in and determine they no longer need to provide assistance in the area, the state would have to act, DeWine warned.
A Norfolk Southern train carrying freight, including tons of hazardous materials, from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, derailed on Feb. 3 in the town near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.
Days after the derailment, authorities conducted a “controlled burn” of vinyl chloride, releasing toxic chemicals into the air, due to the potential for “a catastrophic tanker failure which could cause an explosion with the potential of deadly shrapnel traveling up to a mile.” They had previously evacuated everyone within a mile of the site.
By Feb. 8, residents were allowed to return to their homes.
But critics, including Pennsylvania’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, condemned Norfolk Southern at the time for mismanaging the derailment and failing to explore alternatives to burning toxic chemicals.
The company has also been fighting stricter safety regulations for years, the Lever reported.
DeWine said the clean-up of the site is ongoing, while those local to the area are still contacting authorities about health concerns related to the incident. Besides, the long-term health impacts of the event are unknown, he said, with many appearing uncertain about how to move on.
“Residents continue to report medical conditions and are concerned that the air and water were impacted by the chemicals released during this incident,” he wrote.
DeWine also cited the economic impacts of the derailment.
“Homeowners and business have seen property value decline and loss of business as people are hesitant to come into the community,” he wrote.
The National Transportation Safety Board in March launched a special investigation into Norfolk Southern after a series of accidents, including the East Palestine derailment.
The chair of NTSB revealed that hours of footage, which could have shed light on the cause of the derailment, were automatically deleted after the train went “immediately back in service following the accident.”
The Justice Department has sued the railroad giant over the environmental damage the train disaster caused.
