Pennsylvania, Ohio governors speak out about East Palestine train derailment

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (KDKA) – Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro despatched a scathing letter blasting Norfolk Southern about its dealing with of the East Palestine prepare derailment. 

His letter got here simply hours after Ohio Gov. Mik DeWine briefed the media with the most recent updates, saying he is in frequent contact with the railroad’s CEO.

Shapiro says he is critically involved with Norfolk Southern’s dealing with of the prepare derailment in East Palestine, only a quarter mile from the Pennsylvania state line.

He says Norfolk Southern didn’t implement a unified command, creating confusion. He says it gave out inaccurate and conflicting data. And lastly, he says it was unwilling to discover different programs of motion as an alternative of the vent and burn method that brought about the plume. 

The letter says “You will be assured that Pennsylvania will maintain Norfolk Southern accountable for any and all impacts to our Commonwealth.”

Tuesday’s press convention by DeWine had a barely totally different method. He did not essentially name out Norfolk Southern, however mentioned he desires Congress to look into why the present guidelines allowed for that prepare to not be thought-about a hazardous prepare.

The governor referred to as upon environmental consultants, together with the director of the Ohio Division of Pure Assets, who confirmed the occasion killed 3,500 fish, a complete of 12 totally different species. Fortunately, the consultants say they have no proof of non-aquatic species affected by the derailment.

As for the air, they’re claiming monitoring exhibits the air now appears similar to it did earlier than the derailment.

As for the water, they need residents with personal water sources to take motion. 

“We’re strongly recommending those that haven’t but had their water supply checked to make use of bottled water. That is going to be notably essential if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or making ready formulation for an toddler, avail your self of that water,” mentioned Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff the director of the Ohio Division of Well being. 

Lots of the folks within the city are on municipal water and never personal wells, so that they’re claiming the vast majority of persons are getting water from water reserves utilizing essentially the most distant ones. 

In terms of all of the sludge within the fireplace, all of the flamable supplies, officers nonetheless did not take a look at but for the PFA compounds, however they’re working with the native emergency administration to begin testing the PFAs within the ingesting water. It is another excuse they are saying to fill up proper now on bottled water within the space of this derailment.