A large shipment of an explosive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chemicals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemical</a> transported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/railroads" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train</a> in the western <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/united-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United States</a> has gone missing.
Roughly 30 tons of ammonium nitrate disappeared in mid-April while being moved from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wyoming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wyoming</a> to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a>, prompting explosives manufacturer Dyno Nobel to inform federal authorities. More than a month after material vanished during the nearly two-week trip, officials have yet to find cargo, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/us/chemical-missing-shipment-california-wyoming.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times reported</a> on Sunday.
Ammonium nitrate is a chemical often used in agricultural fertilizer but can also be implemented in explosives, as it was in the deadly 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/programs/ammonium-nitrate-security-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the federal government</a>.
A Dyno Nobel spokesperson said the railcar was sealed when it left a facility in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and the seals were &#8220;still intact&#8221; when it arrived in Saltdale, California. The &#8220;initial assessment is that a leak through the bottom gate on the railcar may have developed in transit,&#8221; a company spokesperson added.
The company also says it had &#8220;limited control&#8221; of the train during transport and that the railcar in question was sent back to Wyoming for inspection.
California-based news station <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11949697/california-officials-trying-to-track-down-missing-30-ton-shipment-of-explosive-chemicals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KQED</a> first reported last week that inquiries into the vanishing chemical shipment are being conducted by federal, state, and company officials. Union Pacific, the rail company that reported the chemical, told The New York Times that its inquiry is still in its &#8220;early stages&#8221; and does not suspect malicious or criminal activity.
News of the missing shipment has sparked a great deal of consternation on social media, with some people pointing out that only <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/what-ammonium-nitrate-chemical-deadly-beirut-explosion-n1236070" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two tons</a> of ammonium nitrate — a fraction of what the railcar had been carrying — was used in the Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people and injured hundreds more.
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Union Pacific spokesperson Kristen South suggested that people should not be concerned about health and environmental risks if the material spilled out of the train over a great distance.
“The fertilizer is designed for ground application and quick soil absorption,” South said. “If the loss resulted from a rail car leak over the course of transportation from origin to destination, the release should pose no risk to public health or the environment.”

Freight train

Shipment Of Explosive Chemical Mysteriously Disappears

California

Chemicals

Environment

Railroads

U.S.

Wyoming

So-called &#8220;forever <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chemicals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemicals</a>&#8221; in drinking water are contributing to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/obesity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obesity</a> and making weight loss harder, a new study finds.
The <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.23755" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a>, lead by Dr. Philippe Grandjean of the University of Rhode Island School of Pharmacy, found that increased concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, caused weight gain after an initial diet. The study noted that PFAS may have a larger role to play in weight loss struggles because of how ubiquitous they are in everyday life.
&#8220;Obesity has a multifactorial origin, and the impact of dietary constituents has been examined in several weight loss interventions,&#8221; the authors began. &#8220;[S]tudy results have shown substantial variability that may suggest an impact of other factors. In particular, the pathogenesis of obesity may be affected by exposure to certain environmental toxicants, such as the perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFASs). Experimental toxicology studies have supported this notion, as PFASs can alter energy metabolism, glucose control, and thyroid hormone homeostasis. Prospective studies have shown that elevated PFAS exposures are associated with weight gain and obesity development in children, as well as in adults.&#8221;
The study built upon data from previous weight loss studies in Europe. Researchers examined blood plasma samples from patients in that study, and found that higher concentrations of PFAS led to weight gains between 0.2 and 0.7 kilograms (about 0.5 to 1.5 pounds). The study also measured how individual pollutants contributed to weight gain: higher levels of the chemical perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) caused an average weight gain of 0.9 kg (about 2 pounds); higher levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) caused an average weight gain of nearly 1.5 kg (about 3.5 pounds).
The study cited previous research linking air pollutants and industrial chemicals to weight gain; PFAS are among the most persistent and active substances among them; they are widely present in the environment and consistently found in human blood. &#8220;The ubiquity of PFASs is linked to their extensive use in industrial and consumer products, including food packaging, paper and textile coatings, nonstick cookware, and fire-extinguishing foams,&#8221; the researchers noted. &#8220;Because of differences in sources and in toxicokinetic fate, PFAS exposures seem not to correlate well with other potential obesogens, thus making confounding less likely.&#8221;
&#8220;Our study adds new evidence that being overweight isn&#8217;t just about a lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits — PFAS are increasingly suspected to be a contributing factor,&#8221; Grandjean told <a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-link-chemicals-weight-gain.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">medicalxpress.com</a>. &#8220;The PFAS exposures in the European participants are quite comparable to levels in America, so my concern is that our exposures to PFAS are making it difficult for us to avoid getting overweight.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/experts-raise-alarm-on-harmful-chemicals-in-fertilizer-water-systems" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PFAS</a> are getting renewed scrutiny after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dramatically <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2022/06/epa-toxic-forever-chemicals-levels-drinking-water-should-be-much">scaled back</a> the levels it considers acceptable in drinking water, leading to more awareness about how dangerous exposure to these compounds truly is.
“We’ve actually poisoned the world with them,” Andria Ventura, legislative and policy director at Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund, told The Daily Wire.
PFAS chemicals enter our bodies via the food we eat and the water we drink, then return to the environment through human waste, forming a potentially dangerous cycle of human and environmental contamination. One way they go back into the environment is through fertilizer made from sewage.
The chemicals have been linked to an array of cancers, hypertension, low birth rates, and issues with immunity, such as the ability of children to be helped by vaccines. The EPA recently decided they were so dangerous that it lowered the acceptable levels from 70 parts per trillion to as little as 0.004 parts per trillion, a drop of more than 99.9%.
Charlotte Pence Bond contributed to this report.

Obesity

‘Forever Chemicals’ Linked To Weight Gain, Making Dieting Harder, Study Finds

'Forever Chemicals' Linked To Weight Gain, Making Dieting Harder, Study Finds

Health

Medical Research

Science

study

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/environmental-protection-agency-epa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EPA</a> Administrator Michael Regan announced on Friday that cleanup for the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train derailment</a> and subsequent <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/chemicals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemical</a> fallout in East Palestine, Ohio, will take three months.
Local and state authorities previously evacuated all citizens within one mile of the February 3 derailment and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of chemicals on the vehicle. Vinyl chloride, a human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Regan <a href="https://twitter.com/EPAMichaelRegan/status/1636736359271477248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on social media that Norfolk Southern, the rail company at the center of the incident, has removed “nearly half” of contaminated soil from the tracks, as well as 6.8 million gallons of liquid waste and 5,400 tons of solid waste. He remarked during a press event that there has been “real progress” in the cleanup effort, but contended that Norfolk Southern “could be moving faster to remove contaminated soil from East Palestine,” according to a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/17/us/east-palestine-ohio-derailment-cleanup/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from CNN.
The EPA <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epa-orders-norfolk-southern-to-handle-all-ohio-train-derailment-cleanup-pay-triple-if-they-cut-corners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> last month that Norfolk Southern must clean contaminated soil and water, reimburse the EPA for cleaning services provided to residents and businesses, and attend meetings to update residents on the cleanup process. The agency also vowed to “immediately step in, conduct the necessary work, and then seek to compel Norfolk Southern to pay triple the cost” if the firm neglects to adequately complete enumerated cleanup actions.
The state of Ohio filed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/entirely-avoidable-ohio-sues-norfolk-southern-for-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> against Norfolk Southern in federal court earlier this week in an attempt to hold the firm financially liable for the disaster.
Regan added that some states were “inhibiting the company’s ability to execute contracts.” A number of officials, such as Governor Eric Holcomb (R-IN) and Governor Kevin Stitt (R-OK), had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epa-orders-states-to-stop-blocking-toxic-waste-shipments-from-ohio-train-derailment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved</a> to block the EPA from transporting shipments of chemical materials over hundreds of miles to their states, asserting that the waste should remain as close to the disaster site as possible.
“There are too many unanswered questions and ultimately I made the decision that this is not in the best interest of Oklahomans,” Stitt commented earlier this week. “As of late last night that shipment has been blocked.”
Regan nevertheless revealed on social media that he issued notices demanding that state authorities accept the shipments. “No one should impede or prevent this cleanup as we return East Palestine to the beautiful community residents know it to be,” he remarked. “The residents of East Palestine should expect that states, private companies, and the federal government will work together to effectuate the swift cleanup they deserve.”
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Even as Regan said that the cleanup process would take three more months, researchers from Texas A&amp;M University and Carnegie Mellon University found that nine chemicals present on the train have higher <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-residents-could-see-long-term-health-risks-from-highly-toxic-chemicals-analysis-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concentrations</a> than normal in the community’s air and water supplies, posing the risk of long-term health complications to residents. State and federal officials have repeatedly claimed that the air and water in East Palestine are safe for consumption.
The EPA more recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epa-requires-norfolk-southern-to-test-near-ohio-train-disaster-for-chemicals-which-impact-fertility-last-for-decades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that Norfolk Southern must test for dioxins, a type of pollutant that can be created by the combustion of vinyl chloride and may take decades to decompose. The substances attach to soil particles and have been known to enter drinking water supplies through waste incineration or discharges from chemical factories.
A team of journalists and producers from The Daily Wire who visited East Palestine last month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/my-eyes-sting-and-my-head-is-throbbing-daily-wire-team-details-experiences-at-ground-zero-of-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> a lingering smell in the air, an oily chemical sheen in local creeks and rivers, and symptoms such as sore throats and headaches garnered by spending an extended period of time in the community. Citizens of East Palestine <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc1zFLHvrwI&amp;embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F&amp;feature=emb_logo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the team that their livelihoods are threatened as customers from the region avoid their businesses and family farms.

East Palestine

EPA Announces How Long Ohio Train Derailment Cleanup Will Take

Cleanup Of East Palestine Will Take Three Months, EPA Says

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Ohio Train Disaster

Scandals

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/environmental-protection-agency-epa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EPA</a> Administrator Michael Regan ordered state authorities to stop blocking toxic <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/chemicals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemical</a> shipments from the site of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio.
Local and state authorities previously evacuated all citizens within one mile of the February 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of chemicals on the vehicle to decrease the risk of an explosion. Vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted during the burn from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Officials from the EPA previously attempted to move the toxic waste to facilities throughout the nation, including a landfill in Roachdale, Indiana, and a waste management facility in Waynoka, Oklahoma, according to <a href="https://fox59.com/indiana-news/indiana-landfill-to-house-waste-shipments-from-toxic-ohio-train-derailment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local</a> media <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-stitt-toxic-waste-ohio-shipment/43283276" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>. The former site is more than 400 miles away from East Palestine, while the latter is nearly 1,200 miles away from the rust belt community.
Governor Eric Holcomb (R-IN) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epa-wants-to-move-chemical-waste-from-ohio-train-crash-to-landfill-in-another-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last month he learned “third-hand” that toxic materials would be transported to his state and contended that they should be transported to “the nearest facilities, not moved from the far eastern side of Ohio to the far western side of Indiana.” Governor Kevin Stitt (R-OK) likewise <a href="https://twitter.com/GovStitt/status/1635018210289549312" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Sunday that he had worked with lawmakers to prevent the material from coming to his state. “There are too many unanswered questions and ultimately I made the decision that this is not in the best interest of Oklahomans,” Stitt commented. “As of late last night that shipment has been blocked.”
Regan revealed on Friday that he issued notices demanding that state authorities accept the shipments. “No one should impede or prevent this cleanup as we return East Palestine to the beautiful community residents know it to be,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/EPAMichaelRegan/status/1636736359271477248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on social media. “The residents of East Palestine should expect that states, private companies, and the federal government will work together to effectuate the swift cleanup they deserve.”
Citizens of East Palestine have voiced frustration over the lack of transparency from government officials and executives from Norfolk Southern, especially with respect to the purported clean bill of health they granted the community’s air and water supplies. Many residents, as well as a team of journalists and producers from The Daily Wire who recently visited East Palestine, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/my-eyes-sting-and-my-head-is-throbbing-daily-wire-team-details-experiences-at-ground-zero-of-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> sore throats and various respiratory complications.
Analysts from Texas A&amp;M University and Carnegie Mellon University <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-residents-could-see-long-term-health-risks-from-highly-toxic-chemicals-analysis-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last month that nine chemicals the EPA said were present on the derailed train now have higher concentrations than normal in East Palestine. Texas A&amp;M Superfund Research Center Director Ivan Rusyn told The Daily Wire that environmental officials have not <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/researcher-worries-government-is-wrongly-declaring-safety-near-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provided</a> “the full context into which the actual data collected by them could be placed,” particularly with respect to the long-term health risks posed by exposure to some of the chemicals.
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The EPA has directed Norfolk Southern to sample for dioxins, particles invisible to the human eye which can attach to soil particles and last in an environment for decades. The substances are “highly toxic and can cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, damage to the immune system, and can interfere with hormones,” according to a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dioxin/learn-about-dioxin#:~:text=Dioxins%20are%20called%20persistent%20organic,and%20can%20interfere%20with%20hormones." target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact sheet</a> from the EPA.

East Palestine Ohio – Train Derailment

EPA Orders States To Stop Blocking Toxic Waste Shipments From Ohio Train Derailment

EPA Tells States To Stop Blocking Toxic Waste From Ohio Train Derailment

The state of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio</a> filed a lawsuit against rail company Norfolk Southern in federal court on Tuesday over the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train derailment</a> in East Palestine and subsequent chemical fallout.
Residents of the small rust belt community continue to suffer weeks after the February 3 disaster. Local and state authorities previously evacuated all citizens within one mile of the derailment site and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of chemicals on the vehicle to decrease the risk of an explosion. The lawsuit, which <a href="https://ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Briefing-Room/News-Releases/2023-03-14-Norfolk-Southern-Complaint-FILED.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contended</a> that Norfolk Southern should be held financially liable for the derailment, characterized the incident as “entirely avoidable” and the result of executives neglecting the “welfare of the communities in which Norfolk Southern operates.”
“Ohio shouldn’t have to bear the tremendous financial burden of Norfolk Southern’s glaring negligence,” Attorney General Dave Yost (R-OH) said in a <a href="https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/March-2023/AG-Dave-Yost-Sues-Norfolk-Southern-Over-%E2%80%98Entirely" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “The fallout from this highly preventable incident may continue for years to come, and there’s still so much we don’t know about the long-term effects on our air, water and soil.”
Vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted during the controlled burn from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Analysts from Texas A&amp;M University and Carnegie Mellon University <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-residents-could-see-long-term-health-risks-from-highly-toxic-chemicals-analysis-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that nine of the 50 chemicals the EPA said were present on the derailed train now have higher concentrations than normal in East Palestine, even after state and federal officials claimed that air and water supplies were safe.
The EPA has additionally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epa-requires-norfolk-southern-to-test-near-ohio-train-disaster-for-chemicals-which-impact-fertility-last-for-decades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directed</a> Norfolk Southern to sample for dioxins, a class of pollutants that can be formed by vinyl chloride combustion and can bind to soil particles for decades.
The lawsuit further noted that accident rates for Norfolk Southern have doubled over the past decade and involved at least 20 chemical releases since 2015. Officials therefore demanded reimbursement for all response costs “incurred and to be incurred” as a result of the disaster.
“The state of Ohio is the owner in trust of public lands, waters, and resources within its political boundaries and has a duty to protect and preserve those natural resources,” the lawsuit continued. “Ohio brings this action to redress the derailment and the resulting contamination of Ohio’s natural resources, which has caused significant damage and poses a significant ongoing threat to Ohio’s natural resources and the citizens of Ohio.”
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testified before Congress last week regarding the derailment, but made no specific promises regarding the firm’s commitment to handle economic and health fallout into the future. Another train <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-norfolk-southern-train-derails-as-ceo-testifies-to-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controlled</a> by Norfolk Southern derailed in Piedmont, Alabama, as Shaw delivered his testimony.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2023, which would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senators-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-improve-rail-safety-after-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">require</a> rail companies to report hazardous materials present on trains to state authorities, raise inspection requirements, and increase the rigor of defect detection efforts. The bill would meanwhile increase several civil penalties for violations of rail safety regulations tenfold and require that each train must operate with at least two-person crews.
Federal investigators have preliminarily <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-in-east-palestine-train-derailment-revealed-in-fresh-ntsb-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concluded</a> that the derailment was caused by a malfunctioning rail axle. “Surveillance video from a residence showed what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” the NTSB said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/investigators-provide-more-details-on-what-caused-ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “The wheelset from the suspected railcar has been collected as evidence for metallurgical examination.”

Ohio train derailment

‘Entirely Avoidable’: Ohio Sues Norfolk Southern For Train Disaster

Ohio Files Lawsuit Against Norfolk Southern For Train Disaster

Lawsuit

Ohio

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/environmental-protection-agency-epa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Environmental Protection Agency</a> told lawmakers on Thursday that Norfolk Southern, the company at the center of the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train derailment</a> and subsequent <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/chemicals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemical</a> fallout in East Palestine, Ohio, must test the environment for certain dangerous substances.
Local and state authorities previously evacuated all residents within one mile of the February 3 derailment and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of industrial chemicals on the vehicle to decrease the risk of an explosion, which could have sent shrapnel throughout the small town. Vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) previously sent a <a href="https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-vance-call-on-ohio-epa-us-epa-to-monitor-east-palestine-for-dioxins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the EPA requesting that officials monitor for dioxins, a group of pollutants that can be created by vinyl chloride combustion and can take decades to decompose. The EPA and the Ohio EPA said in another <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/OHIOGOVERNOR/2023/03/02/file_attachments/2425875/2023%2003%2002%20EPA%20OEPA%20Letter%20to%20Sens%20Brown%20and%20Vance.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> that they have directed Norfolk Southern to sample for the compounds.
“To address related questions, EPA will require Norfolk Southern to conduct a background study to compare any dioxin levels around East Palestine to dioxin levels in other areas not impacted by the train derailment,” the letter said. “EPA is also currently reviewing a draft plan by Norfolk Southern to develop a dioxin ‘fingerprint’ for soil sampling.”
Dioxins, which are invisible to the human eye, can attach to soil and dust particles and last in a given environment for decades. The substances have been known to enter drinking water supplies through waste incineration or discharges from chemical factories; they are “highly toxic and can cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, damage to the immune system, and can interfere with hormones,” according to a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dioxin/learn-about-dioxin#:~:text=Dioxins%20are%20called%20persistent%20organic,and%20can%20interfere%20with%20hormones." target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact sheet</a> from the EPA.
The EPA recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epa-orders-norfolk-southern-to-handle-all-ohio-train-derailment-cleanup-pay-triple-if-they-cut-corners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> Norfolk Southern to manage the cleanup of the chemical fallout, prompting concerns about conflicts of interest and insufficient efforts to ensure the long-term safety of the community. The agency also threatened to “immediately step in, conduct the necessary work, and then seek to compel Norfolk Southern to pay triple the cost” if the company fails to adequately complete enumerated cleanup actions.
The announcement regarding dioxin testing from the EPA comes after residents of East Palestine have voiced frustration over the lack of transparency from government officials and executives from Norfolk Southern. They are also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/my-eyes-sting-and-my-head-is-throbbing-daily-wire-team-details-experiences-at-ground-zero-of-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skeptical</a> of the clean bill of health that environmental authorities granted the Rust Belt community’s air and water supplies since many residents are now reporting chronic sore throats and respiratory complications.
Analysts from the Texas A&amp;M Superfund Research Center and the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies at Carnegie Mellon University <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-residents-could-see-long-term-health-risks-from-highly-toxic-chemicals-analysis-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last week that nine of the 50 chemicals the EPA said were present on the derailed train have higher concentrations than normal in East Palestine. Texas A&amp;M Superfund Research Center Director Ivan Rusyn told The Daily Wire on Wednesday that environmental officials have not <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/researcher-worries-government-is-wrongly-declaring-safety-near-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provided</a> “the full context into which the actual data collected by them could be placed,” especially with respect to the long-term health risks posed by exposure to some of the chemicals.
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A team of journalists and producers from The Daily Wire who visited East Palestine two weeks ago <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/my-eyes-sting-and-my-head-is-throbbing-daily-wire-team-details-experiences-at-ground-zero-of-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> a lingering smell in the air, an oily chemical sheen in local creeks and rivers, and symptoms such as sore throats and headaches garnered merely by spending an extended period of time in the community. Residents of East Palestine <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc1zFLHvrwI&amp;embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F&amp;feature=emb_logo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the team that their livelihoods are threatened as customers start to avoid their businesses and family farms.

OHIO1

EPA Requires Norfolk Southern To Test Near Ohio Train Disaster For Chemicals Which Impact Fertility, Last For Decades

EPA Requires Norfolk Southern To Test Near Ohio Train Disaster For Chemicals Which Impact Fertility

A senior researcher at Texas A&amp;M University expressed concern that the <a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/environmental-protection-agency-epa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/environmental-protection-agency-epa" data-sk="tooltip_parent">EPA</a> and other government agencies are neglecting to provide full information about the risks posed to residents of East Palestine, Ohio, in the wake of the Norfolk Southern <a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" data-sk="tooltip_parent">train derailment</a> and chemical fallout.
Local and state authorities previously evacuated all residents within one mile of the February 3 derailment and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of industrial chemicals on the vehicle to decrease the risk of an explosion, which could have sent shrapnel throughout the small town. Vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Analysts from the Texas A&amp;M Superfund Research Center and the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies at Carnegie Mellon University <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-residents-could-see-long-term-health-risks-from-highly-toxic-chemicals-analysis-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last week that nine of the 50 chemicals the EPA said were present on the derailed train have higher concentrations than normal in East Palestine. They were especially concerned with above-normal levels of acrolein, a substance with a pungent odor that is highly toxic when inhaled, and warned of health concerns if above-normal levels of benzene, naphthalene, and vinyl chloride persist in the area.
The findings came after the EPA <a href="https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=15933" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that air and water quality tests have not produced cause for concern, while state-level authorities in both Ohio and Pennsylvania reached similar conclusions.
Ivan Rusyn, the director of the Texas A&amp;M Superfund Research Center and the chair of the Texas A&amp;M Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology, told The Daily Wire that the officials “did not provide the full context into which the actual data collected by them could be placed.” He said that researchers from the two universities translated “the raw data posted by the agencies online” to determine the effects of continual inhalation and found that some of the chemicals would pose dangers if they persist for months or years.
According to the Washington Post, the EPA <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/02/24/ohio-derailment-toxic-air-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that air quality levels of 79 monitored chemicals are below levels of concern for short-term exposure and that those concentrations will likely dissipate. Rusyn commented to The Daily Wire that the agency has not defined the meaning of “short-term exposure” or provided necessary context for a meaningful risk assessment.
“That is one of the challenges local residents face: lack of context when a government official comes near a microphone and declares ‘safety.’ There is not a disparity in conclusions, the disparity is in how the information is communicated and explained,” Rusyn continued. “We hope our colleagues from the government agencies will put proper context and communicate the likelihood of risk, rather than declare ‘safety.’”
Residents of East Palestine have voiced frustration over the lack of transparency from government officials and executives from Norfolk Southern, the rail company at the center of the incident. They are also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/my-eyes-sting-and-my-head-is-throbbing-daily-wire-team-details-experiences-at-ground-zero-of-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skeptical</a> of the clean bill of health that environmental authorities granted the rust belt community’s air and water supplies since many residents are now facing chronic sore throats and respiratory complications.
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The Daily Wire asked Rusyn whether the EPA and other agencies are testing for all of the chemicals aboard the train or merely for vinyl chloride. He noted that the interactions between the known chemicals on the train, the elements in the environment, and the controlled burn present difficulties in determining which substances may still be present in East Palestine.
“The types of compounds that the EPA released the data on are a very sensible list of agents to evaluate,” he remarked. “But if one asks if it is an all-inclusive list, the answer is no, but not because the agencies don’t want to evaluate them, but because the analytical methods that were at their disposal have limited utility and sensitivity.”

Screen Shot 2023-02-17 at 4.21.35 PM

Researcher Worries Government Is Wrongly Declaring ‘Safety’ Near Ohio Train Crash

Researcher Worries Government Is Wrongly Declaring 'Safety' Near Ohio Train Crash

Disasters

The <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania</a> Department of Health have opened a resource center in a community affected by the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train derailment</a> in East Palestine, Ohio, as residents voice concerns about chemical fallout from the incident.
Local and state authorities previously evacuated all residents within one mile of the February 3 derailment and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of industrial chemicals on the vehicle to decrease the risk of an explosion, which could have sent shrapnel throughout the small Ohio town. Vinyl chloride, a carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) announced on Monday that his administration would open a health resource center in Darlington Township, which is on the western border of Pennsylvania and the eastern border of Ohio, so that citizens can visit with any health concerns and ask for tests of their drinking water.
“Pennsylvanians who are concerned about the impacts of the derailment on their health will have an additional resource to turn to, where they can talk to public health experts right in their own community from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, to receive treatment should they need it,” Shapiro said in a <a href="https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/shapiro-davis-administration-opens-a-pennsylvania-health-resource-center-in-beaver-county/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “From the beginning of our response to Norfolk Southern’s derailment, my administration has worked hand-in-hand with first responders and emergency management personnel, our partners in Ohio, and the federal government to ensure our citizens in western Pennsylvania have the resources and information they need to be safe and healthy.”
Shapiro <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorShapiro/status/1630573536312958976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarked</a> on social media that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has “already collected samples from nearly every private well” within one mile of the derailment. He affirmed that Norfolk Southern, the rail company at the center of the disaster, would pay for the cleanup and reimburse first responders in Beaver and Lawrence counties for “equipment that was damaged or contaminated while responding to the derailment.”
The EPA and state-level officials previously <a href="https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=15933" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assured</a> residents that air and water quality tests in East Palestine have not raised cause for concern. Researchers from Texas A&amp;M University and Carnegie Mellon University nevertheless <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-residents-could-see-long-term-health-risks-from-highly-toxic-chemicals-analysis-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> last week that nine of the approximately 50 chemicals that the EPA said were present on the derailed train currently have higher concentrations than normal in East Palestine. They noted the above-normal levels of acrolein, a substance which is “highly toxic” when inhaled, according to a <a href="https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/MMG/MMGDetails.aspx?mmgid=552&amp;toxid=102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the CDC.
A team of journalists and producers from The Daily Wire who visited East Palestine two weeks ago <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/my-eyes-sting-and-my-head-is-throbbing-daily-wire-team-details-experiences-at-ground-zero-of-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> a lingering smell in the air, an oily chemical sheen in local creeks and rivers, and symptoms such as sore throats and headaches garnered merely by spending an extended period of time in the community. Residents of East Palestine <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc1zFLHvrwI&amp;embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F&amp;feature=emb_logo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the team that their livelihoods are threatened as customers start to avoid their businesses and family farms.
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The EPA generated additional <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epa-wants-to-move-chemical-waste-from-ohio-train-crash-to-landfill-in-another-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controversy</a> this week by announcing that officials would move toxic materials hundreds of miles away from the disaster site to a landfill in western Indiana, effectively crossing the entire breadth of both Indiana and Ohio. “There has been a lack of communication with me and other Indiana officials about this decision,” Governor Eric Holcomb (R-IN) said. “After learning third-hand that materials may be transported to our state yesterday, I directed my environmental director to reach out to the agency. The materials should go to the nearest facilities, not moved from the far eastern side of Ohio to the far western side of Indiana.”

230217_EastPal_Stills.00_00_00_00.Still001

Pennsylvania Opens Health Center Near Ohio Train Derailment As Residents Voice Concerns About Air And Water Quality

Pennsylvania Opens Health Center Near Ohio Train Derailment As Residents Voice Health Concerns

Pennsylvania

Indiana Republican Governor Eric Holcomb denounced a plan from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/environmental-protection-agency-epa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Environmental Protection Agency</a> to move chemical waste from the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train derailment</a> in East Palestine, Ohio, to a landfill in the western portion of the Hoosier State.
Local and state authorities previously evacuated all residents within one mile of the February 3 derailment and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of industrial chemicals on the vehicle to decrease the risk of an explosion, which could have sent shrapnel throughout the small Ohio town. Vinyl chloride, a carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Officials from the EPA revealed on Monday that contaminated waste from the disaster would be transported to an incinerator in Grafton, Ohio, and a landfill in Roachdale, Indiana, according to a <a href="https://fox59.com/indiana-news/indiana-landfill-to-house-waste-shipments-from-toxic-ohio-train-derailment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Fox 59. The former city is 103 miles from East Palestine, while the latter is 402 miles from the small rust belt community.
Holcomb revealed in a Tuesday <a href="https://events.in.gov/event/gov_holcomb_issues_statement_regarding_the_us_environmental_protection_agencys_announcement?utm_campaign=widget&amp;utm_medium=widget&amp;utm_source=State+of+Indiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> that he disagrees with the decision to transport chemical waste from the disaster site on the eastern border of Ohio to the far western portion of Indiana, effectively crossing the breadth of both midwestern states.
“There has been a lack of communication with me and other Indiana officials about this decision,” Holcomb said. “After learning third-hand that materials may be transported to our state yesterday, I directed my environmental director to reach out to the agency. The materials should go to the nearest facilities, not moved from the far eastern side of Ohio to the far western side of Indiana.”
Holcomb added that he requested to speak with EPA Administrator Michael Regan about the decision and “what precautions will be taken in the transport and disposition of the materials.”
Norfolk Southern, the company at the center of the derailment, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/company-responsible-for-ohio-train-derailment-issues-list-of-cancer-causing-substances-released" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> the EPA that a number of other volatile chemicals beyond vinyl chloride, including ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and ethylhexyl acrylate, were present at the site. The EPA released the full list of substances only after residents were told they could safely return to their homes.
Several state and federal agencies, including the EPA, have <a href="https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=15933" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assured</a> residents that “test results from the village’s municipal well sampling showed no water quality concerns.” A team of journalists and producers from The Daily Wire who visited East Palestine earlier this month nevertheless <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/my-eyes-sting-and-my-head-is-throbbing-daily-wire-team-details-experiences-at-ground-zero-of-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> a lingering smell in the air, an oily chemical sheen in local creeks and rivers, and symptoms such as sore throats and headaches garnered merely by spending an extended period of time in the community.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-130573">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Researchers from Texas A&amp;M University and Carnegie Mellon University <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-residents-could-see-long-term-health-risks-from-highly-toxic-chemicals-analysis-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> on Friday that nine of the approximately 50 chemicals that the EPA said were present on the derailed train currently have higher concentrations than normal in East Palestine. They were especially concerned with above-normal levels of acrolein, a substance with a pungent odor that is “highly toxic” when inhaled, according to a <a href="https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/MMG/MMGDetails.aspx?mmgid=552&amp;toxid=102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the CDC.
Other chemicals charted at abnormally high levels included benzene, naphthalene, and vinyl chloride. “If these levels continue, they may be of health concern,” the analysis said.

US-TRANSPORT-ACCIDENT-FIRE

EPA Wants To Move Chemical Waste From Ohio Train Crash To Landfill In Another State

Indiana Governor Balks As EPA Plans To Move Waste From Ohio Train Crash To Landfill In His State

Indiana

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> will host hearings about the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train derailment</a> and subsequent chemical fallout in East Palestine, Ohio, including a possible field hearing so lawmakers can hear directly from residents of the small town, according to a Sunday <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/26/house-gop-plans-ohio-derailment-hearings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Axios.
Officials previously executed a controlled burn of industrial chemicals on the vehicle to decrease the risk of an explosion; vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Bodies such as the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee are considering probes into the federal agencies charged with handling the incident.
House Oversight and Accountability Chair James Comer (R-KY) likewise sent a <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023-02-24-Letter-DOT-Norfolk-Southern-Derailment.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_newslettertest&amp;stream=top#_ga=2.58788653.1803970659.1677507131-1989375623.1673363276" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg last week requesting the senior official’s communications related to the incident. “The infrastructure failure that caused the derailment has led to an environmental disaster,” Comer and other lawmakers wrote. “As Secretary of Transportation, you must provide transparency to the American public on this matter.”
The calls for accountability follow House Republicans narrowly securing a majority in the lower chamber following last year’s midterm elections. Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee have already scheduled a hearing on the crisis. “Our focus will be to examine the local, state and federal response in the immediate aftermath of the train derailment and the ongoing efforts to clean up toxic chemicals in the surrounding environment,” a <a href="https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases-democratic?ID=FB8E9BE9-CDE6-4D36-B391-F6BF61FF765A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from lawmakers said.
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), whose district includes East Palestine, is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and previously invited Buttigieg to a town hall event with his constituents. “I’ll save a seat for you,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBillJohnson/status/1625865701222129664" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the former Democratic presidential contender on social media. “It’s past time you hear the concerns of residents.”
Authorities from the National Transportation Safety Bureau said in a preliminary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-in-east-palestine-train-derailment-revealed-in-fresh-ntsb-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that a malfunctioning rail car axle was responsible for the disaster. Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/air-quality-following-controlled-burn-at-ohio-derailment-site-basically-what-it-was-before-train-crash-governor-claims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the vehicle was “not considered a ‘high hazardous material’ train,” meaning that “the railroad was not required to notify anyone here in Ohio about what was in the railcars” traversing the state.
Buttigieg <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-buttigieg-provides-answer-on-why-he-did-not-visit-east-palestine-sooner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visited</a> the train derailment site on Thursday, nearly three weeks after the incident and one day after a similar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-are-not-forgotten-trump-visits-ohio-town-impacted-by-train-crash-hits-biden-over-lack-of-attention-toward-community" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visit</a> from former President Donald Trump. When pressed by a reporter on whether he should have visited the rust belt community sooner, Buttigieg said he was balancing his “desire to be involved and engaged and on the ground” with his “desire to follow the norm” and let the NTSB handle the crisis.
Residents of East Palestine could possibly be subject to a number of long-term health complications as a result of prolonged exposure to toxic substances, despite officials’ assurances that the air and water in the town are safe. Researchers from Texas A&amp;M University and Carnegie Mellon University <a href="https://twitter.com/tamusuperfund/status/1629145826244149250" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Friday that nine of the approximately 50 chemicals that the EPA said were present on the derailed train have higher concentrations than normal in East Palestine. They were especially concerned with above-normal levels of acrolein, a substance with a pungent odor that is “highly toxic” when inhaled, according to a <a href="https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/MMG/MMGDetails.aspx?mmgid=552&amp;toxid=102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the CDC.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-107819">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Biden administration officials have claimed that the derailment could have been prevented if Trump had not <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-blames-trump-for-ohio-train-derailment-even-the-ntsb-chair-calls-that-misinformation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reversed</a> a federal mandate about electronically controlled pneumatic train braking systems in 2018. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, an appointee of the Biden administration, exhorted all who claim that the braking rule would have prevented the derailment to “stop spreading misinformation.” She clarified that the measure would have only applied to “high hazard flammable trains,” while the vehicle which derailed in East Palestine was classified as a “mixed freight train” with too few hazardous cars to meet the threshold for the regulation.

House Republicans Will Host Multiple Hearings On Ohio Train Disaster: Report

House Republicans Will Host Hearings On Ohio Train Disaster: Report

Congress

House Republicans

James Comer

Politics

Famed activist Erin Brockovich has joined the throng of people investigating the train derailment-turned environmental disaster in <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/joy-behar-blames-east-palestine-residents-for-train-disaster-because-they-voted-for-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East Palestine</a>, Ohio, and she said she believes President <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden&#8217;s</a> administration is hiding something from the American people.
Brockovich, who has also spoken to CNN and MSNBC about her experience interviewing the people who were directly affected by the derailment and subsequent fires and explosion, told Fox News host <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/tucker-carlson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tucker Carlson</a> on Friday that Biden&#8217;s response to the disaster has fallen far short of what it should be. And to make matters worse, she said, the people there believe that the president has left them to fend for themselves.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Erin Brockovich tonight on Tucker: “You’re not gonna gas light me.”🔥 <a href="https://t.co/719QPZKZcI">pic.twitter.com/719QPZKZcI</a>
&mdash; TexasLindsay™ (@TexasLindsay_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TexasLindsay_/status/1629298437412798465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We’re pushing a month now and they still don’t have any answers. It’s very obvious something’s really gone wrong out here,&#8221; Brockovich began. &#8220;And I’ve been out here down on the ground and they’re really frustrated, why they don’t feel that their agencies or their administration cares about what’s happened to the community. So it is very apparent they are, are concerned and not being seen or heard.&#8221;
Carlson pressed Brockovich to elaborate, asking whether she believed there was specific information that the Biden administration was hiding from the people — and she seemed to confirm that she did.
&#8220;Yeah, there is. And I mean, it’s like, Oh my gosh, come on. Oh, we’re out here. What, 44,000 fish are dead? We’ve seen them. We’ve seen them out here today aerating the creeks. They’re removing stuff. That, the wellheads are locked. What’s up?&#8221; Brockovich continued, arguing that it was no different than coal miners keeping a &#8220;canary in the mine shaft&#8221; to determine whether the air was safe to breathe.
&#8220;Send the canary down there, it dies: Might not be good for humans. You have dead fish: might not be good for humans. You have dead animals: might not be good for humans. You’ve sent a horrible mixed message to this community. Drink the water. Don’t drink the water. Safe. Not safe,&#8221; she added. &#8220;It’s — It’s horribly confusing and extremely frustrating to them. And something actually has gone wrong here. And there’s information that has yet to come forward, and the story will continue to unfold.&#8221;
Carlson pressed again, asking what she meant when she said the wellheads had been locked, and she explained that certain water sources had been blocked despite claims that they were safe.
&#8220;So, so in the schools, so the children can’t drink the fountains, and then on private wells around here, they’ve got locks on them. So they obviously — aw, come on. Wha– if there’s no problem, you don’t need to lock up a drinking fountain. You don’t need to be aerating the system. And you can explain away all day long to me that nothing’s wrong. But I, I see what’s going on here,&#8221; she concluded. &#8220;You’re not gonna gaslight me.&#8221;
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Oklahoma Earthquake Swarms Linked To Hydraulic Fracturing Within State

Erin Brockovich Torches Biden Over East Palestine Debacle: ‘You’re Not Gonna Gaslight Me!’

Erin Brockovich Torches Biden Over East Palestine Debacle

Joe Biden

Pete Buttigieg

Residents affected by the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ohio-train-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">train derailment</a> and subsequent <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/chemicals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemical</a> fallout in East Palestine, Ohio, could be subject to a number of long-term <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">health</a> complications as a result of prolonged exposure to toxic substances despite officials&#8217; assurances that the air and water in the town is safe, researchers from Texas A&amp;M University and Carnegie Mellon University said on Friday.
Local and state authorities previously evacuated all residents within one mile of the February 3 derailment and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> a controlled burn of industrial chemicals on the vehicle to decrease the risk of an explosion, which could have sent shrapnel throughout the small town. Vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen used to manufacture PVC, was emitted from five train cars in the form of massive plumes of black smoke visible throughout eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
The researchers from Texas A&amp;M and Carnegie Mellon <a href="https://twitter.com/tamusuperfund/status/1629145826244149250" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Friday that nine of the approximately 50 chemicals that the EPA said were present on the derailed train have higher concentrations than normal in East Palestine. They were especially concerned with above-normal levels of acrolein, a substance with a pungent odor that is “highly toxic” when inhaled, according to a <a href="https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/MMG/MMGDetails.aspx?mmgid=552&amp;toxid=102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the CDC.
Other chemicals charted at abnormally high levels included benzene, naphthalene, and vinyl chloride. “If these levels continue, they may be of health concern,” the analysis said.
The findings come after the EPA <a href="https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=15933" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that “test results from the village’s municipal well sampling showed no water quality concerns,” while Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) <a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/east-palestine-water-quality-update-2152023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that tests conducted by the Ohio EPA revealed “no detection of contaminants in raw water from the five wells that feed into East Palestine’s municipal water system.” Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) likewise remarked in a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pa-governor-accuses-norfolk-southern-of-giving-the-middle-finger-to-residents-after-ohio-train-crash-makes-criminal-referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> that tests of municipal water supplies and wells have not shown any “concerning readings” of hazardous chemicals.
A team of journalists and producers from The Daily Wire who visited East Palestine last week nevertheless <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/my-eyes-sting-and-my-head-is-throbbing-daily-wire-team-details-experiences-at-ground-zero-of-ohio-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> a lingering smell in the air, an oily chemical sheen in local creeks and rivers, and symptoms such as sore throats and headaches garnered merely by spending an extended period of time in the community. One first responder who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unlike-anything-i-have-ever-seen-ohio-first-responder-says-residents-suffer-from-health-issues-after-train-derailment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussed</a> his experiences with The Daily Wire said that he and several colleagues experienced sore throats, headaches, coughing, and diarrhea after helping residents respond to the incident.
Beyond the release of vinyl chloride, Norfolk Southern, the company at the center of the derailment, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/company-responsible-for-ohio-train-derailment-issues-list-of-cancer-causing-substances-released" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> the EPA that a number of other volatile chemicals, including ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and ethylhexyl acrylate, were present at the site. The EPA published the full list of substances only after residents were told they could safely return to their homes.
Senior officials in the Biden administration have faced criticism for not publicly addressing the train derailment in the days after the incident occurred. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who publicly acknowledged the crisis for the first time on February 13, emphasized during a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-buttigieg-provides-answer-on-why-he-did-not-visit-east-palestine-sooner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> in East Palestine on Thursday that lawmakers need to consider new regulations for trains that carry hazardous materials. When pressed by one reporter on whether he should have visited the town sooner, Buttigieg said he was balancing his “desire to be involved and engaged and on the ground” with his “desire to follow the norm” and let the National Transportation Safety Bureau handle the incident.

East Palestine Residents Could See Long-Term Health Risks From ‘Highly Toxic’ Chemicals, Analysis Says

East Palestine Residents Could See Long-Term Risks From ‘Highly Toxic’ Chemicals

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