WASHINGTON — Amid continuing health concerns following last year's toxic train derailment in East Palestine, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has announced a new private well sampling program for Columbiana County.
On Monday, Brown announced that he secured a $2 million investment for the Columbiana County Health District which will provide sampling for 250 residential wells. The program will utilize an independent laboratory and local agency staff to "help ensure residential well water in Columbiana County is safe to drink where municipal water is not available."
The program, called the "East Palestine Derailment Response - Residential Well Sampling Project," comes on the heels of Brown's visit to the area last week.
“My job is to always fight for Ohio communities and this investment is thanks to the residents of Columbiana County who spoke up and raised concerns about their drinking water,” said Brown in a statement. “We will continue fighting for this community and we’ll keep asking and listening and making sure they get what they need. I am here for the long haul.”
Brown's office added in a release that the project "aims to provide confidence and transparency for the residents by deploying local personnel instead of a corporate contractor hired by Norfolk Southern."
Earlier this month, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) testified to the Senate that the controversial controlled burn that took place shortly after the derailment in East Palestine was not necessary.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) that because the chemical tank cars had cooled and stabilized, there was not a risk of an uncontrolled explosion. She added that during the important few minutes leading to the decision to have a controlled release of chemicals inside five vinyl chloride tank cars, experts from chemical shipper Oxy Vinyls were not present.
“It’s outrageous,” Brown said in a statement after Homendy's testimony. “You are still living with the consequences of that burn, and everyone involved in this failure needs to be held accountable. And frankly, it’s a reminder that Norfolk Southern can’t be trusted.”
Previous Reporting:
- Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg scolds railroads for not doing more to improve safety since Ohio toxic train derailment
- Norfolk Southern alone should pay for cleanup of Ohio train derailment, judge says
- Ohio train derailment: Gov. Mike DeWine says he was never told by experts that controlled burn in East Palestine was unnecessary
- Ohio train derailment: NTSB chair says controlled burn in East Palestine was unnecessary
