Ohio Republican invites Buttigieg to East Palestine town hall after train derailment: 'I'll save a seat'

close

Video

Ohio train derailment: East Palestine set to engage in town hall to dispel rumors, answer questions

Fox News correspondent Garrett Tenney reports on the environment near the site of the controversial train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio and distrust from area residents.

An Ohio Republican Congressman representing East Palestine says it's "past time" for Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to hear the concerns of residents ahead of a town hall Wednesday night, saying he'll "save him a seat."

A train with 50 rail cars, 10 of which were carrying vinyl chloride, derailed in East Palestine on Feb. 3. The derailment caused hazardous chemicals to spill onto the ground and sent a plume of smoke into the air. 

Officials conducted a controlled release of chemicals because of the risk of an explosion, releasing thick smoke into the air. Residents were evacuated before the controlled release was performed.

A town hall meeting hosted by the East Palestine officials is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at a local high school.

OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT: GOV. MIKE DEWINE SAYS IT'S 'ABSURD' CARGO WASN'T CONSIDERED 'HIGH HAZARDOUS MATERIAL'

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is once again in the national spotlight over an incident that grounded about 1,300 aircraft. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, called on Buttigieg to attend the meeting in a tweet on Wednesday.

"@SecretaryPete, hope to see you tonight at the town hall in #EastPalestine. I’ll save a seat for you. It’s past time you hear the concerns of residents affected by the train derailment," Johnson said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday that it hasn't detected health concerns from the air in the area.

"Since the initial derailment, EPA has led robust air-quality testing (including with the state-of-the-art ASPECT plane) in and around East Palestine," EPA Great Lakes said in a tweet. "At this time, our air monitoring has not detected any levels of health concern that can be attributed to the incident."

Some residents are reporting that animals are becoming sick or even dying after East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick said on Feb. 7 that it was safe for evacuated residents to return.

One East Palestine resident, Nathan Velez, told 'Jesse Watters Primetime" that he has had persisting headaches that are related to the chemicals in the air.

OHIO RESIDENTS FEAR TRAIN DERAILMENT POISONED AIR, GROUND, REPORT ANIMALS DYING

A large plume of smoke rises over East Palestine, Ohio, after a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. About 50 cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in a fiery crash. Federal investigators say a mechanical issue with a rail car axle caused the derailment.  (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

"My house is just across the tracks … and it smells, too. You can’t spend a lot of time here without feeling like crap," he said. "And my question is why, if it’s okay if it’s safe, and all these people say it’s safe, if it’s so safe and okay then why does it hurt?"

The EPA told Norfolk Southern in a Feb. 10 letter that the company is liable for cleanup and said some contaminated soil wasn't disposed of correctly, according to WKBN.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Smoke rises from a derailed cargo train in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 4, 2023. - The train accident sparked a massive fire and evacuation orders, officials and reports said Saturday.  (Dustin Franz/AFP via Getty Images)

"Five railcar tankers of vinyl chloride were intentionally breached; the vinyl chloride was diverted to an excavated trench and then burned off. Areas of contaminated soil and free liquids were observed and potentially covered and/or filled during reconstruction of the rail line including portions of the trench /burn pit that was used for the open burn off of vinyl chloride," the EPA said in the letter.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Transportation for comment.

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.