Pete Buttigieg Concerned By Impacts Of Ohio Train Derailment

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said late Monday that he was “concerned” about the impact of the trail derailment in East Palestine. This statement came days after residents were forced to evacuate because of toxic chemicals being released.

Buttigieg stated Monday night in a social media update that “I remain concerned about the effects of the February 3 train derailment close to East Palestine, OH and the effects on families during the ten days since they were upended through their own fault,”

He said, “It is important that families have easy access to accurate and useful information.” He then stated that there was an immediate response to the incident.

“The investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been supported by USDOT. He stated that the Federal Rail Administration and Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Teams were present within hours of the incident and are still actively engaged.” He made vague promises to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.

“In the meantime our Federal partners at EPA will be onsite and monitoring indoor air quality to test VOCs and other chemical of concern,” he stated, noting that 291 homes have been screened by the agency with “no detections”.

Buttgieg’s Monday declaration comes nearly a week after the first derailment that forced residents to evacuate because the train carrying toxic chemicals was on the tracks. Officials gave the OK to residents nearly a week after the initial train derailment.

James Justice, EPA’s Director of Environmental Protection (EPA), stated that “Hundreds and Hundreds of Data Points We’ve Collected Over the Time Show the Air Quality is Safe.”

Recent data shows, however, that the train accident on the Ohio-Pennsylvania railroad “spewed more harmful pollutants into the air, surface soils, and water table than initially reported,” Breitbart News explained.

ABC News reports that a list of cars involved in the accident and the products they carried was released by Norfolk Southern. It includes several toxic chemicals not previously known.

The NBC News list lists that ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and ethylhexyl acrylate were among the substances.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contact with ethylhexylacrylate, which is a carcinogen can cause irritation and burning of the eyes and nose, and inhalation can cause shortness of breath and coughing.

This is Buttgieg’s latest incident. Critics point out that Biden officials continue to offer slow or indifferent responses, and vague promises to investigate every issue. For example, the airline disaster last year even caused Democrats to turn against Buttigieg.