COLUMBUS, Ohio – State Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel is urging Congress to establish a special committee to investigate the February 2023 train derailment in East Palestine and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s response.
A resolution introduced by Robb Blasdel, R-79th, passed the Ohio House Wednesday.
Robb Blasdel recently pushed for the legislation after newly obtained documents acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request showed that officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency voiced concerns that the chemical spill and plume of smoke set off by a controlled burn after the derailment could cause “cancer clusters.”
Many of the railcars contained highly flammable chemicals and burned for more than 48 hours after the derailment. Among industrial chemicals on the train were benzene, butyl acrylate, isobutylene, ethylhexyl acrylate and vinyl chloride, a possibly explosive chemical that led to the controlled burn Feb. 6. That decision has been challenged as unnecessary by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Many residents in the village and surrounding area reported symptoms ranging from dizziness, rashes, blurry vision and nosebleeds to more serious health issues such as seizures, new cancer diagnoses and asthma.
“After a traumatizing event such as this, the people’s government owes their constituents the highest level of transparency,” Robb Blasdel said. “Our constituents deserve answers, and each of us must commit to the next generation of Ohioans, that we will learn from this experience, and we will be better suited to respond and be fully transparent in the future. This resolution represents a first step toward that goal.”
House Resolution 147 urges Congress to establish a special committee to investigate the train derailment and the EPA’s response. The resolution also urges Congress to appoint members of the Ohio congressional delegation to the committee.
Pictured at top: Damaged railcars are seen after the Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine.