Ohio governor asks Biden to declare a disaster over East Palestine train derailment

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has asked President Biden to declare a major presidential disaster for the train derailment in East Palestine earlier this year, which resulted in toxic chemicals spewing from several box cars.

In a letter sent Monday, DeWine told Biden that the declaration “is needed to ensure that the State and Federal government use all resources available to step in and provide the community with needed assistance.”

The Republican governor added that currently “no unmet needs have been reported” due to the voluntary assistance from rail operator Norfolk Southern, noting that there is a possibility that the voluntary assistance provided by the rail operator could cease in the future.

According to CNN, Norfolk Southern has reimbursed citizens and local governments for costs related to the incident.

“I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and the affected local governments, and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary,” DeWine wrote in his letter.

DeWine also noted in his letter a summary of the effects of the train derailment, noting how residents continue to report medical conditions and concerns about the air quality in the area.

The letter comes months after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed near the Pennsylvania state line, causing a massive fire and prompting authorities to evacuate about half of the 4,800 residents in the surrounding area, which included the village of East Palestine.

Norfolk Southern said some of the rail cars were carrying hazardous materials including vinyl chloride, combustible liquids, butyl acrylate, benzene residue, and other nonhazardous materials.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced that it will launch a special investigation into the company, adding that it had sent officials to investigate at least five different “significant accidents” involving the company since 2021.