Situation At East Palestine Just Got Even Worse. Where Is The HHS?

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Railroad Administration administrator Amit Bose are facing scrutiny after a rail union leader penned a series of letters to the two of them, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, and Ohio governor Mike DeWine, alleging that workers at the East Palestine train derailment site were falling ill.

Jonathan Long, general chairman of the American Rail System Federation of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, claimed that those tasked with handling the disaster were experiencing “migraines and nausea.” He accused Norfolk Southern of cutting costs in its “quest for more record–breaking profits at the sacrifice of safety,” and said that workers had not been offered or provided with “appropriate personal protective equipment,” such as respirators and eye protection.

Now, Buttigieg and Bose are under fire for their apparent inaction in the face of such safety concerns. Leaders of twelve unions met with the two of them in Washington, DC Wednesday, though what was discussed has not been made public. Jeremy Ferguson, president of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division, said it was a “good start,” though whether it will lead to any meaningful changes is yet to be seen.

Republicans have been critical of Buttigieg and Bose’s handling of the situation, accusing them of putting profits before safety.

“It’s outrageous that these workers weren’t given appropriate safety equipment,” said Republican Senator Jim Johnson. “It’s up to the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration to ensure that these workers are protected, and so far, they’ve failed to do that.”

He went on to call for an investigation into Norfolk Southern’s safety record, and urged Buttigieg and Bose to take decisive action to ensure that all rail workers have the protection they need.

“This is a matter of life and death,” Johnson said. “We need to make sure that this never happens again.”

It remains to be seen if Buttigieg and Bose will heed Johnson’s call, and whether any action will be taken to ensure that rail workers are safe and protected.

East Palestine train derailment site workers are getting sick, union says https://t.co/NKVsMpLZVl

— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 2, 2023