EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has announced that he’s requested federal help in connection with the East Palestine train derailment.
Here's the full statement as released by Gov. DeWine shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday:
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine spoke with officials at the White House early this morning to address the need for federal help. As a result of this conversation, the Governor has requested assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health and Emergency Response Team, and the CDC to provide on-the-ground assistance in East Palestine.
The DeWine Administration has been in daily contact with FEMA to discuss the need for federal support, however FEMA continues to tell Governor DeWine that Ohio is not eligible for assistance at this time. Governor DeWine will continue working with FEMA to determine what assistance can be provided.
Gov. DeWine tweeted a similar statement, which you can see in the post below.
Earlier in the day, US Sen. Sherrod Brown called for Gov. DeWine to declare the East Palestine train derailment as a disaster.
"A man-made disaster of this scale, scope and significance necessitates a response and deployment of resources that are commensurate in scale and scope," Sen. Brown wrote in a statement. "I’m grateful for all that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Emergency Management Agency, local firefighters, and local law enforcement have done to respond to this unprecedented disaster, but it’s critical we act quickly to supplement those efforts. Additional federal resources can and should play a critical role in helping our fellow Ohioans get back on their feet and ensure that their community is a safe place to live, work, and raise a family."
You can read Sen. Brown's full statement HERE.
Early last week, crews conducted a controlled release of chemicals involving several rail cars amid explosion concerns.
UPDATE: On Friday evening, DeWine confirmed that FEMA will, in fact, be sending a crew to assist with the aftermath of the train derailment in the village.
In a joint statement released Friday night, DeWine and FEMA Regional Administrator Thomas C. Sivak said the agency would deploy a Regional Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) to Columbiana County starting Saturday, along with a senior response official. The workers will "support ongoing operations, including incident coordination and ongoing assessments of potential long-term recovery needs."