February 14, 2024
Briefing Packet Delivered to President Biden on Ongoing Health Concerns in East Palestine
Our organization urges the President to Declare a National Disaster
WASHINGTON — In preparation for President Biden’s upcoming February 16 visit to East Palestine, Ohio, we submitted a comprehensive briefing packet to the White House, calling for urgent action to address ongoing health concerns and federal missteps in response to the February 3, 2023 train derailment and subsequent detonation of toxic chemicals.
The briefing packet highlights the alarming findings of our preliminary investigation into the East Palestine disaster, which reveals persistent health threats and egregious failures by federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in safeguarding the community’s well-being.
Since the derailment, we have conducted interviews with residents, scientists, industry insiders, and whistleblowers, uncovering a stark disparity between the official narrative provided by Norfolk Southern and the EPA and the reality experienced by impacted individuals.
Key points from the briefing packet include:
Ongoing Health Concerns: Residents continue to suffer from a range of severe health symptoms, including respiratory distress, skin lesions, neurological issues, new tumors, seizures, and cardiac issues, with many reporting symptoms consistent with dioxin exposure.
Federal Agency Missteps: The EPA, CDC, and FEMA have been criticized for a series of dangerous decisions, including premature lifting of evacuations, inadequate testing, reliance on industry consultants, and failure to address the extent of contamination beyond East Palestine.
Recommendations: Government Accountability Project recommends immediate action, including declaring East Palestine a National Disaster, providing resources for residents to relocate safely, designating superfund status to the disaster site, and establishing long-term medical monitoring programs.
The briefing packet underscores the urgent need for federal intervention to protect the health and safety of East Palestine residents and surrounding communities. We urge President Biden to meet with independent scientists with credible data, as well as the residents who are suffering and are available to share their suffering. Meeting only with local politicians and business leaders will sustain and increase cynicism. He must hold EPA accountable to restore community trust in the federal response. It is overdue to prioritize the health and welfareof impacted individuals, as well as the community, and take decisive action to address the ongoing crisis.
Our Environmental Investigator, Lesley Pacey, comments:
“We strongly urge President Biden to listen to the residents of East Palestine and nearby communities who have been harmed by this unprecedented chemical disaster. He also should listen to the independent scientists. Their voices in our White House brief share the message that things are not okay in East Palestine and that the EPA and other federal agencies failed to protect the residents. One toxicologist we spoke with cites concerns that deaths from the train derailment and burning of train cars will eventually exceed those of 9/11. Another dioxin expert said the EPA has mismanaged the response and that they have no scientific basis to say the disaster did not cause health harm. We are concerned that it is only a matter of time before the chemical combinations released in East Palestine lead to chronic health impacts and cancers. President Biden must act now to mitigate any further harm to residents by Declaring a National Disaster in East Palestine.”
Contact: Mary Allain, Interim Communications Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 449-6042
Government Accountability Project
Government Accountability Project is the nation’s leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, Government Accountability Project’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, Government Accountability Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.
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