Erin Brockovich urges Biden to ‘get more involved’ as toxic chemicals imperil Ohio and Pennsylvania

15 February 2023

When a train operated by Norfolk Southern Railway derailed in Eastern Ohio on February 3, many of the 50 cars were carrying hazardous materials such as vinyl chloride and phosgene (which was used as a chemical weapon during World War 1). Officials, hoping to avoid an explosion, carried out a controlled burn that released toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. More than 2000 residents of that area were evacuated, and some residents have been complaining of headaches and other symptoms.

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich (who was famously depicted by actress Julia Roberts in a 2000 movie) is speaking out and is urging President Joe Biden’s administration to get involved.

On February 13, Brockovich tweeted, "Doing better than your predecessor, is not doing enough. The Biden administration needs to get more involved in this #PalestineOhio train derailment now. We are counting on you to break the chain of administration after administration to turn a blind eye. STEP UP NOW."

The following day, Brockovich returned to Twitter and posted, "A train derails. They tell the community to evacuate. They tell them to go back home. They tell them everything is fine. THEN!! They tell them: On second thought… Don’t drink the water."

Journalist Stuti Mishra, covering Brockovich’s response to the derailment for The Independent on February 14, explains, “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been closely monitoring the air and drinking quality of the surrounding area. It has reassured residents that the detected chemical levels are below health-screening levels and that it was safe for residents to return home.”

The derailment is raising health concerns not only in Eastern Ohio, but also, in neighboring Pennsylvania. The derailment occurred near the town of East Palestine, Ohio, which is about 40 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Two residents of Western Pennsylvania, according to the Associated Press, have filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Railway in the hope of getting the company to pay for medical screenings for residents of Pennsylvania and Ohio .

Brockovich, now 62, has been involved in environmental activism since the early 1990s, when she took on Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) in a case involving groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California. In Anderson, et al. v. Pacific Gas & Electric, the company agreed to a settlement of $333 million. That case was depicted in the 2000 movie with Julia Roberts.

Read The Independent’s full report at this link.

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