Latest news with #NorfolkSouthern
Russia Today
12 hours ago
- Health
- Russia Today
White House covered up chemical spill cancer risk
The administration of former US President Joe Biden tried to cover up serious public health risks related to a 2023 toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, a whistleblower protection and advocacy group has claimed. The Government Accountability Project (GAP) has published a set of documents obtained through a lawsuit from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which allegedly prove that the White House deliberately chose to withhold the true scale of the catastrophe while intentionally avoiding contact with affected residents. On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, derailed near the village of East Palestine, spilling its hazardous contents into a nearby waterway. Five tankers were later also deliberately ignited in a controlled burn. The incident forced evacuations, was linked to animal deaths, and led to reports of unexplained illnesses in the weeks that followed. Several months later, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publicly declared that East Palestine residents were 'not in danger,' citing air and water monitoring results. Biden had also praised what he called his administration's 'herculean efforts' to resolve the crisis. The government's response was heavily criticized at the time, with many calling out Biden for not visiting East Palestine sooner, downplaying the severity of the disaster, and prioritizing public relations over the health and safety concerns raised by residents and experts. According to GAP investigator Lesley Pacey, the public's fears have turned out to be justified, with internal documents showing that the White House, the EPA, and FEMA had privately discussed the serious dangers associated with the chemical spill, described internally as 'really toxic,' and 'deliberately kept this information from the community.' In an interview with NewsNation published on Saturday, Pacey explained that FEMA knew that the controlled chemical burn resulted in a 'really toxic plume' and that it could cause cancer clusters in the region and other health risks that would require 20 years of medical monitoring. The information was never publicly disclosed or acknowledged by FEMA or the White House as the Biden administration chose to focus on 'public reassurances' rather than 'worrying about public health,' Pacey told the New York Post. The emails obtained by GAP have also shown that FEMA's coordinator – sent to East Palestine to oversee recovery efforts, communicate with residents and assess their needs – was actually directly instructed to avoid engaging with the locals. 'They completely botched this event from the very beginning,' Pacey surmised.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Biden admin admitted chances of cancer affecting East Palestine residents after Norfolk Southern crash was ‘not zero,' bombshell emails show
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration admitted possible cancer-causing toxins were spread in East Palestine, Ohio, following the Norfolk Southern train derailment in 2023, explosive new emails show, despite the White House insisting residents were safe. 'The occurrence of a cancer-cluster in EP [East Palestine] is not zero,' FEMA recovery leader James McPherson wrote in a March 29, 2024, email to other public health officials — a little more than a year after the crash. 'As you all are aware, the first 48 hours of the fire created a really toxic plume,' he said in the chain of communications, which were first reported by News Nation. 4 'The occurrence of a cancer-cluster in EP [East Palestine] is not zero,' Federal Emergency Management Agency recovery leader James McPherson wrote in a March 29, 2024, email. Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images Just two months earlier, President Biden had excoriated 'multimillion-dollar railroad companies transporting toxic chemicals' for the fiasco — but praised his administration's 'herculean efforts' to resolve the 'vast majority' of East Palestine's problems. The crash spewed harmful chemicals into the air and resulted in 115,000 gallons' worth of carcinogenic vinyl chloride undergoing an open burn — displacing residents and leading to reports of strange illnesses as well as the death of livestock in the weeks following the Feb. 3, 2023, disaster. Michael Regan, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, showed up on Feb. 22 with TV cameras in tow to capture himself drinking from the local water supply, and months later claimed unequivocally that people in East Palestine were 'not in danger.' 4 President Biden excoriated 'multimillion-dollar railroad companies transporting toxic chemicals' for the fiasco — but praised his administration's 'herculean efforts.' AP 'Since the disaster, EPA has collected more than 100 million air monitoring data points and more than 25 thousand samples in and around the community,' Regan said in an Oct. 17, 2023, statement. 'This data collection continues, and ongoing science-based reviews show that residents of East Palestine are not in danger from contaminated drinking water, soil, or air from the derailment.' But a watchdog group that has been investigating the toxic fallout from the train derailment said the Biden administration's approach was 'flawed' from the start — and has now released emails obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests to prove it. 4 Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan showed up on Feb. 22 with TV cameras in tow to capture himself drinking from the local water supply. C-SPAN 'They didn't always test for the right chemicals; they didn't test in the right locations; they didn't have the right detection limits,' Government Accountability Project investigator Lesley Pacey told The Post, saying the Biden admin wasn't 'worrying about public health' but, rather 'public reassurances.' 'They delayed testing for dioxin, and then when they did the testing for dioxin — and also did the testing in people's homes for other chemicals — they used Norfolk Southern contractors, and those contractors used equipment that wasn't correct,' said Pacey, who's been investigating the incident. 'They completely botched this event from the very beginning.' So-called 'ASPECT' planes that monitor air quality weren't deployed due to apparent bad weather until four days after the derailment, she added, when they should have been flown within eight hours of the incident. 4 The federal response also lacked robust monitoring of the water supply and ignored agency policies in order to burn the harmful chemicals, according to Pacey, leaving East Palestine natives 'acutely very, very ill.' Bloomberg via Getty Images The federal response also lacked robust monitoring of the water supply and ignored agency policies in order to burn the harmful chemicals, according to Pacey, allowing East Palestine natives to get 'very, very ill.' The new emails — including batches from FEMA, the EPA, the White House, the National Security Council and the Justice Department, which later settled with Norfolk Southern for $310 million to redress harms to the Ohio community — also show that one year after the chaos admin officials were still discussing the need to develop a 'tripwire to identify cancer clusters.' Biden, who was diagnosed earlier this month with an 'aggressive' form of prostate cancer that has already spread to his bones, often claimed that his late son Beau died from a brain cancer possibly caused by exposure to toxic fumes while serving in Iraq. He also claimed in a 2022 speech that he had cancer due to growing up near oil refineries in Claymont, Delaware, though the White House maintained he was referencing 'non-melanoma skin cancers' that had previously been removed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Entire system contaminated 2 years after Ohio train derailment: Ex-resident
(NewsNation) — Two years after a toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, left many with lingering health problems. A new vital report has revealed the government may have intentionally avoided addressing those concerns. Residents are now suing the CDC, alleging the agency told healthcare providers not to treat them. Jess Connard, a former East Palestine resident, shared that she and others know the entire system meant to protect them is contaminated. 'The CDC told us that there was nothing they could do about our chemical exposures, and that's exactly what happened, nothing,' Connard said. 'And in the same breath, they told us that our cancers would be treatable.' Norfolk Southern Ohio train derailment payout trial begins Connard was one of several to relocate their families with regards to health concerns, but she dealt with the effects of the chemicals in a similar fashion to other residents. 'You'll go to the doctor and they don't attach it back to the derailment,' added Connard. 'They're not epidemiologists. They're not meant to do that. They're meant to treat our symptoms.' FEMA is also catching heat along with the CDC now from Connard and her former neighbors because, after the event, they were ordered to provide an unmet needs assessment. The assessment would have brought forth additional medical resources. 'You've got our current Vice President, J.D. Vance, in his current capacity as Ohio Senator, urged former President Biden to declare a public emergency,' Connard said. 'Why not now? We know that the contamination is still present and ongoing.' Connard hopes that under President Trump's administration, the resources needed in East Palestine will finally be supplied. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
CDC told health providers not to treat after East Palestine derailment: Lawsuit
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (NewsNation) — Two years after the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine and the subsequent toxic plume of smoke that devastated the area, a lawsuit against the transport company alleges a conspiracy to deny health care to those impacted. Tara Hicks, Christa Graves and Lonnie Miller are among the 793 East Palestine residents involved in the litigation against Norfolk Southern and more than 50 other defendants, including state and local agencies, involved in the investigation and cleanup. The lawsuit alleges a conspiracy to deny health care on behalf of Vanguard, Blackrock, Mercy Health and Quest. Powell meets with Trump as president bashes Fed over interest rates 'We've been lied to from the beginning,' said Hicks. 'They've said everything is fine when we know that that's not the case. And now we're finding out for a fact that we were right. We've been poisoned.' The lawsuit cites the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for 'failure to ensure proper public health response, testing, and medical support for the affected residents of East Palestine.' It also alleges the CDC 'negligently instructed health professionals and testing facilities not to test for dioxins and other toxic chemicals denying residents accurate diagnosis and critical medical care.' 'Just tell us the truth,' said Miller. 'We're all adults. We can handle the truth. What were we exposed to? I want accountability. I want justice for my family.' They say they were told that a letter was sent out, instructing health care officials to disregard their concerns. Trump administration working to return Guatemalan man deported to Mexico NewsNation has obtained that clinical guidance letter from the CDC that was sent to hospitals and local health providers after the derailment and burn. 'No testing or treatment related to a specific chemical exposure is recommended,' it read in part. 'Do not diagnose anything related to chemicals. Don't do any testing related to chemicals. This is all a stress reaction,' is what Miller says she was told. Mindy Bish, one of the attorneys representing the residents who spoke with NewsNation, said that letter was an attempt to convince residents they were 'crazy.' 'It (the CDC letter) says, specifically, we don't believe you should test or treat. And it even goes on to say that residents can feel stressed as a result of a major environmental disaster,' said Bish. 'So when I read it, I thought that is the beginning of telling these people that they're just crazy. Nothing's really wrong with you. You're just crazy.' Can you get unemployment benefits if you quit a job? Miller says CDC workers in East Palestine also became sick and left the area. 'I'm angry. I'm angry because every single one of those agencies at the bottom of that form, from federal, state, local, they all failed us,' said Miller. The residents say their lawsuit is about truth and accountability. 'Justice has always been found with a jury and only with a jury,' said Bish. 'So we're going to find justice with juries until these companies realize that they just can't act this way anymore.' NewsNation has reached out to Norfolk Southern and the CDC for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Binghamton recognized for achievement in railroad renovation
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Binghamton is being recognized by other cities and villages across New York for its success in compelling railroad companies to fix their deteriorating infrastructure. The city is receiving the 2025 Local Government Achievement Award from the New York Conference of Mayors. Its being recognized for its Railroad Bridge Improvement Project. For decades, underpasses and bridges owned by the railroads were neglected, becoming unsightly and unsafe. In 2023, Mayor Jared Kraham commissioned a $41,000 engineering report that documented widespread deterioration and safety concerns. Kraham then shared the 914 page report with federal regulators and Norfolk Southern agreed to do millions of dollars worth of repairs. Kraham accepted the award at NYCOM's annual meeting today in Bolton Landing. Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT: The EV Revolutionizer Guthrie Lourdes Health and Fitness turns three with free wellness event 52nd annual Greek Fest kicks off in Vestal Ribbon cutting held for $15 million project at Good Shepherd Village at Endwell New York Times agrees to license its material for Amazon's AI Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
