East Palestine: HHS, CDC sending medical personnel after train derailment, officials say

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EPA Administrator accused of slow response to Ohio train derailment

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan says he hesitated to visit East Palestine, Ohio, because he wanted emergency responders to focus on helping people, ‘not visitations.’

The Biden administration is deploying medical personnel and toxicologists to East Palestine, Ohio following the toxic train derailment more than two weeks ago amid pressure from state officials for federal aid.

Officials said Friday that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are sending personnel to conduct public health testing and assessments. Residents of the East Palestine community have reported severe symptoms from toxins and chemicals that have seeped into the air and waterways since the derailment on Feb. 7.

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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine requested HHS and CDC assistance on Feb. 16, after being denied aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A tank car sits on a trailer as the cleanup of portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed over a week ago continues in East Palestine, Ohio, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.  ((AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar))

Officials said federal medical personnel are expected to be on the ground in East Palestine by Saturday. The team is expected to include a medical toxicologist and others to support state health department efforts.

The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry will also be on the ground to help protect the community from "harmful health effects related to exposure to natural and man-made hazardous substances." Officials said the ATSDR will send a team to interview members of the community and in the area of the derailment to conduct an assessment of chemical exposure investigation.

A Biden administration officials said they have been in East Palestine "helping to respond to the situation on the ground since day one," although many have criticized the administration for seemingly downplaying the incident.

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The official said that "within hours" of the derailment, the Environmental Protection Agency deployed a team to the town to support state and local emergency and environmental response efforts. The Department of Transportation also arrived on scene to investigate what led to the derailment of the train, operated by Norfolk Southern Railway company.

Cleanup continues in a stream in East Palestine Park in East Palestine, Ohio, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. Residents of the Ohio village upended by a freight train derailment are demanding to know if they're safe from the toxic chemicals that spilled or were burned off to avoid an even bigger disaster.  ((Lucy Schaly/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP))

"That work has been underway," the official said, noting that representatives from the EPA and the Department of Transportation have been "doing the hard work of cleaning up" and of "holding Norfolk Southern accountable."

Addressing the perceived delay in their response, the official said after the "serious accident," those in "leadership positions" needed emergency response personnel to be able to "devote their full attention and efforts to addressing the accident."

That official said that was the reason "leadership didn’t show up until more than a week later," and said the presence of leadership officials can distract from the efforts.

"It is important to recognize that when these incidents happen, we need to let the emergency response take place," the official said.

Officials said the National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the cause of the derailment.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, R, speaks at a press conference on Friday, February 17, 2023. DeWine delivered an update on environmental testing after the train derailment in East Palestine spilled toxic chemicals.  (Fox News)

"Once the investigation is complete, the federal government will use all available and appropriate authorities to ensure accountability and improve rail safety," an official said, noting a preliminary findings report could come "within weeks."

DeWine had requested assistance from FEMA this week, but was denied. DeWine's office said Thursday that it has been in daily contact with FEMA, but that the agency "continues to tell" the governor that Ohio isn't eligible for disaster assistance. In response, FEMA said it is coordinating with EPA, HHS and the CDC to support the state.

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A White House official told Fox News Digital that FEMA, the agency that usually provides relief to communities hit by hurricanes and other natural disasters, isn't best equipped to support the state's current needs.

FILE - A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, Feb. 6, 2023. ((AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file))

"The Biden administration is mobilizing a robust, multi-agency effort to support the people of East Palestine, Ohio. Since February 3, the Environmental Protection Agency has had personnel on the ground," the official told Fox News Digital. "FEMA is coordinating with the emergency operations center working closely with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency."

"But what East Palestine needs is much more expansive than what FEMA can provide," the official said. "FEMA is on the front lines when there is a hurricane or tornado. This situation is different."

An administration official said FEMA is in constant contact with the emergency operations center in East Palestine, as well as the Ohio Emergency Management Agency and federal partners. The official said the EPA has secured Norfolk Southern’s commitment to cover all cleanup costs.

A train fire is seen from a farm in East Palestine, Ohio. (AP)

The assistance comes after the train derailment on Feb. 3, when about 50 cars on a Norfolk Southern Railroad train carrying vinyl chloride derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a small community that is located along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.

The company opted to release the gas from the derailed cars, releasing potentially deadly fumes and other dangerous chemicals into the air, to prevent a disastrous explosion. Local residents were told to evacuate the area during the release, but were assured it was safe to return on Feb. 9.

An official said that EPA air monitoring "has not detected any levels of health concern in the community that are attributed to the train derailment."

The official said the EPA is also monitoring the air quality within a one mile radius of the site of the derailment on a 24-hour basis, and is expanding testing to soils in the community.

Fox News' Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.