Photos: Gage Skidmore, Flickr Creative Commons
Environmental advocate Erin Brockovich (left) is criticizing U.S. senator from Ohio J.D. Vance for his lack of communication about the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine.
Erin Brockovich has begun her Ohio investigation, but she's already finding certain government officials in the Buckeye State to be completely useless.
Brockovich, a consumer advocate who had built her reputation by winning a case against a company that contaminated water in a California village, recently said she's been looking into the environmental affects of the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine in northeast Ohio. About 20 of the 50 Norfolk Southern Railway freight train cars that went off the track were carrying vinyl chloride, which is used to make a hard plastic resin used in a variety of plastic products. The colorless vinyl chloride has been associated with an increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers, according to the federal government’s National Cancer Institute.
Through the Environmental Protection Agency and other local, state and federal agencies have claimed that initial air and water tests have come back as relatively safe, many Ohio residents have talked about dead fish and animals nearby, shared concern for cities downriver such as Cincinnati and likened the train derailment incident to the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl (testing is ongoing, including here in Cincinnati).
Residents also have noted the lack of urgency or public information from elected officials such as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Middletown-raised U.S. Senator J.D. Vance.
"Look who's back. Maybe he was in Cancun?" Brockovich tweeted, likely referring to Texas senator Ted Cruz heading to Cancun for a family trip as the rest of his state grappled with its worst snowstorm in history.
But Brockovich wasn't done.Look who's back. Maybe he was in Cancun? https://t.co/9uW8QQdF7q
— Erin Brockovich (@ErinBrockovich) February 13, 2023
"Just look at his Twitter timeline. While he was playing politics and fueling election issues it took JD Vance what, 10 days to put out a statement?" she said. " Hold them responsible. Hold them all responsible."
Just look at his Twitter timeline. While he was playing politics and fueling election issues it took JD Vance what, 10 days to put out a statement?
— Erin Brockovich (@ErinBrockovich) February 13, 2023
Hold them responsible. Hold them all responsible, https://t.co/2vlfA0kxNo
Brockovich wasn't the only one coming for Vance. Twitter lit up in recent days wondering where the new senator from Ohio had been.
"JD Vance, these are your constituents, care to assist them since Trump relax the regulations on transport of these toxic chemicals and the brake systems on trains!" one person wrote.
"Bad things happening in Ohio and JD Vance is nowhere to be found," another said.
Indeed, Vance largely has been publicly absent from the East Palestine conversation. He tweeted on Feb. 4 that his team was "monitoring the situation" but didn't mention the situation again until releasing a statement on Feb. 13. In between, Vance stoked immigration fears, chastised U.S. president Joe Biden for his response to the war in Ukraine and celebrated Taco Bell's America-made Mexican pizza.
In his Feb. 13 press release, Vance, a Republican, acknowledged that federal agencies, the Ohio National Guard and Northern Suffolk Railway said that their air and water tests in the area have been clear but added that he's heard "alarming anecdotes about contaminated waterways and effects on wildlife." He said that his office has been in contact with various agencies.
Vance wasn't the only official that Brockovich was pushing against. She also advised U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Democrat, that his public statements weren't doing enough for the residents of East Palestine.
"These chemicals are serious. They are in the air and water, animals are dying. That’s a very scary situation for any resident and all the folks in neighboring communities," Brockovich wrote.
In 1993, Brockovich battled Pacific Gas & Electric Company, a utility company that, a court found, had contaminated the water near Hinkley, California, with a carcinogen. Through her employer, law firm Masry & Vititoe, Brockovich proved a connection between PG&E's actions and the cancer and other illnesses that Hinkley residents had endured. Her investigation was the subject of the highly rated 2000 film Erin Brockovich, which won Julia Roberts an Academy Award for her role as Brockovich.
That experience has continued to shape her work, including her research on East Palestine.
"One of the most contentious talking points that I hear today is the idea that the environmental movement is a product of rich elites and that regulations hurt working-class people," Brockovich wrote. "I disagree. I speak with these same people every day and I can tell you that they are not suffering because of regulations. Instead, they have been harmed by neglected infrastructure updates, corporate misdeeds, and bureaucratic hurdles. Issues that involve our land, water, and air are bi-partisan."
In November, Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval announced that after more than 140 years of exclusive city ownership, Cincinnati could sell the Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern for $1.6 billion to fund the city’s infrastructure maintenance needs. But during a budget and finance committee meeting on Feb. 13, Cincinnati City Council members raised safety and financial concerns to railway representatives."JD Vance, these are your constituents, care to assist them since Trump relax the regulations on transport of these toxic chemicals and the brake systems on trains!" one person wrote.
"Bad things happening in Ohio and JD Vance is nowhere to be found," another said.
Indeed, Vance largely has been publicly absent from the East Palestine conversation. He tweeted on Feb. 4 that his team was "monitoring the situation" but didn't mention the situation again until releasing a statement on Feb. 13. In between, Vance stoked immigration fears, chastised U.S. president Joe Biden for his response to the war in Ukraine and celebrated Taco Bell's America-made Mexican pizza.
In his Feb. 13 press release, Vance, a Republican, acknowledged that federal agencies, the Ohio National Guard and Northern Suffolk Railway said that their air and water tests in the area have been clear but added that he's heard "alarming anecdotes about contaminated waterways and effects on wildlife." He said that his office has been in contact with various agencies.
"One week ago, local and state officials determined that to avoid a catastrophic explosion a controlled release of vinyl chloride would take place," Vance said. "This release is the source of the frightening plumes of black smoke that have made their way around social media. While those plumes of smoke are now gone, many questions remain."My statement on the train crash in East Palestine. pic.twitter.com/E3IiyKOC2Z
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) February 13, 2023
Vance wasn't the only official that Brockovich was pushing against. She also advised U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Democrat, that his public statements weren't doing enough for the residents of East Palestine.
Meanwhile, Brockovich already has released one report on East Palestine. In a Feb. 14 post titled "East Palestine: The Place You Don't Want to Be!", Brockovich noted what's happened so far and what residents have been saying.You need to be communicating with the people impacted and those in neighboring areas.
— Erin Brockovich (@ErinBrockovich) February 14, 2023
They are scared and unclear about the dangers to themselves and their loved ones.
Not enough is being done here and these statements are not sufficient. https://t.co/sgbnkF3vcD
"These chemicals are serious. They are in the air and water, animals are dying. That’s a very scary situation for any resident and all the folks in neighboring communities," Brockovich wrote.
In 1993, Brockovich battled Pacific Gas & Electric Company, a utility company that, a court found, had contaminated the water near Hinkley, California, with a carcinogen. Through her employer, law firm Masry & Vititoe, Brockovich proved a connection between PG&E's actions and the cancer and other illnesses that Hinkley residents had endured. Her investigation was the subject of the highly rated 2000 film Erin Brockovich, which won Julia Roberts an Academy Award for her role as Brockovich.
That experience has continued to shape her work, including her research on East Palestine.
"One of the most contentious talking points that I hear today is the idea that the environmental movement is a product of rich elites and that regulations hurt working-class people," Brockovich wrote. "I disagree. I speak with these same people every day and I can tell you that they are not suffering because of regulations. Instead, they have been harmed by neglected infrastructure updates, corporate misdeeds, and bureaucratic hurdles. Issues that involve our land, water, and air are bi-partisan."
Coming soon: CityBeat Daily newsletter. We’ll send you a handful of interesting Cincinnati stories every morning. Subscribe now to not miss a thing.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
