Ohio Senator JD Vance (R-OH) issued a statement Monday with questions regarding the 50-car freight train transporting hazardous goods that crashed earlier this month near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The crash was treated with a controlled release of chemicals to prevent an explosion.
“Like every Ohioan, I’m horrified by the Norfolk Southern train crash in East Palestine and the images we’ve seen coming from Northeast Ohio,” Vance began in a statement, adding that now, “many questions remain.”
Vance first questioned the state of the surrounding communities drinking water, asking, “Is the air and water safe for residents? So far, we have been told that air and drinking water tests performed by the state and federal Environmental Protection Agencies, the Ohio National Guard, and Norfolk Southern have been encouraging.”
“We continue to monitor environmental reports from multiple agencies about the quality of the air and water in the region,” Vance added. “I have heard alarming anecdotes about contaminated waterways and effects on wildlife.”
The senator went on to encourage “anyone with credible reports of environmental harms” to contact his office.
Vance then asked, “What are the needs of people on the ground?” adding that the firefighters working the situation “deserve our gratitude for their heroism” and also deserve equipment they “need for their jobs” from FEMA.
Vance also asked, “Why did this happen?” adding “after the cleanup and safety of everyone is ensured, we will turn our attention to how to prevent this in the future.”
“I am dedicated to ensuring that the relevant authorities do not use tests conducted as a permission slip to pack up and go home. This is a complex environmental disaster with impacts that may be difficult to assess in the short term. Long-term study will be imperative. As will long-term commitment to remediation by Norfolk Southern for the property damaged, the wildlife disrupted, and the community scarred by this accident,” Vance concluded.
Meanwhile, the situation surrounding the train crash has not been limited to a public safety issue.
Last week, as Ohio Governor Mike DeWine was speaking at a press conference to announce the lifting of an evacuation order due to the train crash, police in Ohio forcefully arrested a NewsNation correspondent.
BREAKING: @EvanLambertTV, a DC-based correspondent for @NewsNation, has been in Ohio covering the train crash. He was doing a live shot in the back of the room during a press conference-was told to stop by police, was pushed to the ground, cuffed & arrested & put in a patrol car. pic.twitter.com/RZv6nT7j8o
— NewsNationComms (@NewsNationComms) February 8, 2023
During NewsNation’s “Rush Hour,” D.C.-based correspondent Evan Lambert was providing a live report when law enforcement officials at the press conference reportedly warned him to keep quiet because DeWine was speaking, as previously reported by The Ohio Star.
Lambert was released from the Columbiana County Jail on Wednesday of last week and is now facing allegations of disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing.
Following the incident, Governor DeWine said that he did not personally order the arrest of Lambert.
Lambert’s case has since been handed over to the Office of the Ohio Attorney General (OAG), Dave Yost, and their Special Prosecutions Division.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “JD Vance” by JD Vance.
