Jessie Waters claims East Palestine will be "Devastated for years to Come". Sean Hannity says it is a "Growing Disaster in Ohio". Tucker Carlson made it sound like the town has no future. ALL LIES!
by Jack Phillips with commentary by Tom Zawistowski, February 14, 2023
Epoch Times: Animals Falling Sick, Dying Near Hellish Ohio Train Derailment Site, Locals Claim
'We basically nuked a town with chemicals'Animals are falling sick or dying near the train derailment and chemical fire in East Palestine, Ohio, according to reports, which has sparked fears of more widespread impacts.
Taylor Holzer, owner of a farm just outside the evacuation zone near the fire, told WKBN that several animals that he keeps on his property became ill. Some developed a range of symptoms, including liquid diarrhea and puffy faces.
“Out of nowhere, he just started coughing really hard, just shut down, and he had liquid diarrhea and just went very fast,” Holzer told the outlet of one of his animals. “Smoke and chemicals from the train, that’s the only thing that can cause it, because it doesn’t just happen out of nowhere,” he added. “The chemicals that we’re being told are safe in the air, that’s definitely not safe for the animals … or people.”
Congressman Bill Johnson Pushes Back on the FoxNews Exaggerations:
Authorities have said the train was carrying highly toxic vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, and other hazardous materials before it derailed. The Norfolk Southern Railroad train derailed while it was heading to Pennsylvania on Feb. 3.
Professor Kevin Crist, the director of Ohio University’s Air Quality Center, said that vinyl chloride is carcinogenic, causing cancer of the liver and order organs.
“Breathe those in under heavy concentrations, and it’s really bad for you,” Crist told ABC News. “It’s like an acid mist. It’s not something that you want to be around in high concentrations.”
(Editors Note: There are NO high concentrations of this chemical for anyone to breath in, so what is the point of this comment other than to make you think their is danger where no real danger exists?)
One woman, a North Lima resident, claimed some of her chickens died in recent days.
“My video camera footage shows my chickens were perfectly fine before they started this burn, and as soon as they started the burn, my chickens slowed down and they died,” Amanda Breshears of North Lima, Ohio, told ABC27. “If it can do this to chickens in one night, imagine what it’s going to do to us in 20 years.”
(Editors Note: I would ask everyone to look carefully at all the claims that will be made and ask important questions about them. This chicken farm is 15 miles from the crash site and not in the direction the winds were blowing. Until these chickens are tested and it is proven that it was from the train then it is NOT from the train. The error is on the side of facts. The suggestion that this event is going to cause problems 20 years down the road is simply wild speculation based on zero facts!)
There were also claims of fish dying in waterways in or near East Palestine. A local environmental official confirmed fish die-offs in reports last week.
(Editors Note: The EPA never said that their was no polution or environmental harm from the spill and some fish and small animals died. Look at the videos of the dead fish being shown. You see only a few, not thousands like you would see in a major environmental disaster. These claims are true but grossly exaggerated.)
“Leslie Run comes out of East Palestine and that goes into Bull Creek, which then goes into North Fork. And we know for sure that there has been some fish kill in Leslie Run and Bull Creek, and some portions of the North Fork,” Matthew Smith, assistant regional scenic river manager for the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, told WKBN.
The fire was set as part of a “controlled release” to avoid a tanker failure that could have set off an explosion, authorities have said. But one local hazardous materials expert expressed reservations about the idea.
Referring to reports of dead animals, Environmental Protection Agency official James Justice told news outlets that his agency has been conducting constant air-monitoring tests in the area. They found that no toxic threats have been monitored in the area, while residents were told it’s safe to return home, he said.
Read/Watch FoxNews Suddenly Discovers Train Derailment in East Palestine and over-exaggerates environmental damage to attack Transportation Secretary Buttigieg and Biden Administration
But some locals in East Palestine told The Washington Post that they’ve suffered deleterious health effects after returning home. One of them, Maura Todd, said she and family members experienced headaches and nausea this week. Now, she wants to move away.
(Editors Note: In multiple press conferences and on the local news Ohio Governor DeWine, and the Railroad, and the State and Federal EPA all gave out instructions for anyone who wants to have their home tested and they would send people over to test it. If the property needed a chemical cleanup they would clean it up at no cost. This person didn't do that and should not have gone home if they had headaches. Personal Responsibility - NOT VICTIMIZATION! I personally spoke with a long time friend who lives one mile from the blast and who had to evacuate his family - twice. He has no smell, no damage at his home and is not concerned. Now he has an office that was within blocks of the crash and the chemical smell and residue is all over the building and it is going to have to be cleaned up before they can use it. That makes sense. Many, many, people are going to take advantage of this to enhance their victim status. We can not promote victimization.)
“I’ve watched every news conference and I haven’t heard anything that makes me think that this is a data-driven decision,” Todd, 44, told the outlet. “We don’t feel like we have a whole lot of information.”
Another resident, who was not identified, said, “I don’t want to take my kids back to that,” reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “None of us have the money to completely start over somewhere. We’re not going to have a choice but to take our children back to that place, and it’s not fair.”
Response
Responding to those animal die-off reports, Kurt Kollar with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Emergency Response, said in a news conference that those claims are being monitored.
“We knew at the onset of this incident there was impact to Sulfur Creek and waters of the state of Ohio. Since that point in time, we have been able to successfully control that runoff and contain the water and either treat it in place, along with a robust sampling program for the water quality,” Kollar said.
In a news release, the EPA wrote that it is continuing to monitor the air quality around East Palestine.
“Air monitoring since the fire went out has not detected any levels of concern in the community that can be attributed to the incident at this time. For example, there have been some exceedances of PM2.5 screening values, but those are both upwind and downwind of the derailment site so likely had another cause,” it said on Feb. 12. “Residents may still smell odors from the site. If you experience symptoms, Columbiana County Health Department recommends calling your medical provider.”
‘Nuked a Town’
“We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” said Sil Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist, in an interview with WKBN over the weekend, referring to the controlled burn.
(Editors Note: This is a totally irresponsible statement by a supposed "expert". It wasn’t like they just decided to burn those chemicals without considering the human and environmental impact, right? In today's world I am pretty sure that all the authorities were well aware of the scrutiny that their decision would face. There are PLENTY of lawyers on the ground looking for clients to sue everyone. What is being responsible in this situation? Bad things happen, often someone is at fault, often people get hurt. But that rarely is because of nefarious reasons right? Yes, this was a disaster and for a while it was really dangerous situation but it is not getting worse, it is getting better! East Palestine is going to be Ok! Authorities did their jobs and protected the people! I saw the police and fire and mayor of East Palestine in those press conferences - they were prudent people who would not let any funny business happen on their watch to the people in the town they love. I was very impressed with their common sense and professional approach to this disaster! They certainly DID NOT NUKE THIER TOWN!)
Other than vinyl chloride—used to manufacture PVC—Caggiano noted that the train had ethylhexyl acrylate on board. The substance is not only carcinogenic, but it can cause burning and irritation in the skin and eyes, coughing, and shortness of breath.
“I was surprised when they quickly told the people they can go back home, but then said if they feel like they want their homes tested they can have them tested. I would’ve far rather they did all the testing,” Caggiano told the media outlet.
Down the road, there might be surges in cancer rates near East Palestine, he noted.
“There’s a lot of what ifs, and we’re going to be looking at this thing 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the line and wondering, ‘Gee, cancer clusters could pop up, you know, well water could go bad,” Caggiano said.
(Editors Note: Based on ZERO data. Yea and it is much more likely that their will not be these serious problems. Another totally irresponsible statement.)
The Epoch Times has contacted the EPA for comment.
(Editors Note: My friend tells me that track has like 75 trains per day running through for decades - without an incident until now - is that a failure or a success?? Perspective and Truth . . . Those tracks bring valuable goods to Americans across the nation EVERY DAY! Isn't it important that they were re-opened as quickly as possible regardless of the profit motive? Those chemicals are not evil. They are used to produce important product all of us use every day! Yes, train safety can be improved and should be improved. Yes, one train derailment is one too many just like one plane crash is unacceptable. Yes, Pete Buttigieg is totally unqualified for anything but why hurt the people of East Palestine to attack him when you can attack him for so many other things?
How were the people of East Palestine hurt? FoxNews basically told the nation with it's biased and exaggerated stories that East Palestine is a chemical waste dump that will not be safe to live in for over 20 years! You think that is going to make people in that town feel good about their future? You think that is going to help to get businesses to move there? If someone wanted to move do you think that will help them sell their home? FoxNews and other media outlets should be ashamed of themselves for intentionally hurting this town that thousands love and call home. Let me end with this. You know what this disaster was? It was a MIRACLE! If I showed you the video of that crash and told you that not one person died or was even hurt what would you call that! That is called a MIRACLE! Put that message out!")
