Protesters interrupted a session of the Ohio House this week demanding that Governor Mike DeWine declare a state of emergency in East Palestine as a result of the catastrophic train derailment earlier this year.
The group’s Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment and River Valley Organizing gathered to pressure the Ohio governor to submit a disaster declaration before the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) July 3rd deadline. Also, the groups protested in the Rotunda at the Ohio Capitol Building and marched into DeWine’s offices.
“Our houses aren’t safe. I can’t breathe in my house,” one protester said before being escorted out of the House chambers.
According to FEMA, two types of disaster declarations exist under federal law an emergency declaration and a major disaster declaration. An emergency declaration would provide “supplement state and local government efforts in providing emergency services, such as the protection of lives, property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States” with the total amount of assistance provided to “not exceed $5 million.”
Although DeWine asked for assistance from FEMA, he has yet to request a declaration of emergency from the Biden administration for East Palestine and surrounding areas.
DeWine cannot make the declaration; it has to be made by President Joe Biden, but for Biden to do so, DeWine must first make a request.
According to House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill), although the people of East Palestine have gone through a lot in the last few months, protests like this make them “actually lose the influence as opposed to the real impact of having meetings and sitting down.”
The protest follows DeWine submitting a letter earlier this week to FEMA requesting a second extension on the deadline for Ohio to request a major disaster declaration for damage resulting from the February Norfolk Southern derailment.
In March, after FEMA said that the East Palestine disaster would most likely not qualify for standard FEMA assistance, DeWine asked for and received a 120-day extension. On July 3rd, that extension will end.
In his letter, the Ohio governor asked FEMA for a further extension of 120 days to permit ongoing evaluations of the derailment’s effects and guarantee a comprehensive settlement of East Palestine’s problems.
According to DeWine, this extension would allow Ohio to continue providing East Palestine with necessary resources and assistance to recover from the February 3rd train disaster.
“This extension would allow the State of Ohio to continue its efforts to ensure that Norfolk Southern provides the impacted areas with resources needed to recover from the event, including financial assistance, and to identify any gaps in areas of recovery where federal assistance may be needed,” the Ohio governor said.
On February 3rd, 50 train carriages, 10 of which were carrying hazardous materials, derailed as a result of a technical problem with a rail car axle, according to federal authorities. There was vinyl chloride in five of the vehicles. Hundreds of residents evacuated due to the controlled release of poisonous gasses that Norfolk Southern carried out on February 6th to stop an explosion.
Officials told East Palestine residents on February 8th that they could safely go home, despite the reports of hundreds of dead fish in the Ohio River near East Palestine and residents complaining of headaches and illness since the derailment.
Despite assurances from government officials that they are safe, many members of the community said they are fearful and nervous about their exposure to the chemicals, and said they are concerned about the quality of the air and drinking water. Some residents stayed in hotels until officials convinced them their homes were safe.
Until now, Ohio’s help to East Palestine has taken the shape of various services, including a free medical clinic for locals who have complained of experiencing headaches, breathing issues, and other ailments after the derailment.
According to the Ohio EPA, Norfolk Southern has hauled approximately 20.2 million gallons of liquid wastewater out of East Palestine. A pile of approximately 11,400 tons of excavated soil is waiting for removal from East Palestine versus 66,300 tons that Norfolk Southern has removed.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “East Palestine Train Wreck” by National Transportation Safety Board.
