Home Republicans are launching an investigation into Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s response to the prepare derailment catastrophe in East Palestine, Ohio.
The Committee on Oversight and Accountability despatched a letter to Buttigieg on Friday detailing their issues and demanding an evidence for the Division of Transportation’s “management’s apathy within the face of this emergency.”
“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the continued disaster that started on February 3, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio,” the letter started. “A Norfolk Southern freight prepare’s derailment and the following response launched extremely poisonous chemical supplies into the air, water, and soil—forcing residents of East Palestine to evacuate.”
Buttigieg didn’t go to East Palestine till 20 days after the derailment. Joe Biden has not introduced any plans or intention to go to.
“This incident is an environmental and public well being emergency that now threatens Individuals throughout state strains,” the letter continued. “Regardless of the U.S. Division of Transportation’s (DOT) duty to make sure protected and dependable transport in the US, you ignored the disaster for over every week. The American folks deserve solutions as to what brought on the derailment, and DOT wants to offer an evidence for its management’s apathy within the face of this emergency. We request paperwork and knowledge concerning DOT’s response to the East Palestine, Ohio, prepare derailment and ensuing environmental and public well being emergency.”
The lawmakers famous that the fallout from the hazardous supplies being leaked and burned “continues to develop” and that “the infrastructure failure that brought on the derailment has led to an environmental catastrophe.”
“After the derailment, crews held a managed launch and burn of the poisonous chemical compounds—together with the explosive and carcinogenic vinyl chloride —carried within the railcars,” the letter learn. “The managed burn created an enormous smoke plume above East Palestine for a number of hours. Alarmingly, a few of these chemical compounds should still be current within the space, with residents reporting lifeless animals, sturdy odors, burning sensations, rashes, and watery eyes. One hazardous supplies specialist defined, ‘We principally nuked a city with chemical compounds so we may get a railroad open.’”
The letter defined that as Secretary of Transportation, Buttigieg should present the American folks with transparency. As a substitute, the lawmakers asserted, he has tried guilty others for infrastructure points which might be DOT’s duty.
“Underneath your management, DOT supported President Biden’s Infrastructure Invoice, which included billions of {dollars} dedicated to revamping America’s railways in an effort to make them safer and extra environment friendly,” the letter says. “But America now faces one among transportation’s largest failures, even whereas DOT appears to not lack obtainable funding. In America, over 1,000 trains derail yearly.”
“The Committee is deeply involved by DOT’s sluggish tempo in resolving this matter,” they wrote.
The committee then requested a slew of paperwork and supplies associated to his response, which they require to be turned in by March 10.
The letter was signed by 21 Republicans who’re on the committee.
