On Friday’s edition of ABC’s “Start Here” podcast, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said that he doesn’t know if he would feel comfortable moving into East Palestine, Ohio at the moment.
Host Brad Mielke asked, “The EPA at this point has assured residents that their testing is not finding toxic levels in the air that are dangerous to their health, but you’re an Ohio resident, would you feel comfortable moving into East Palestine right now?”
Brown responded, “I don’t know. I was there with EPA Administrator Regan. I heard the mayor, who’s a conservative guy, say that the water is drinkable. The EPA — both the governor’s EPA and the president’s EPA — have both said the water is drinkable. But they also cautioned if you’re moving back into your home or a new place, you should test the water and the soil and the air, including on your furniture internally and all in your house, that those will all be paid for by Norfolk Southern. We’re insisting that they pay for continuous testing and monitoring for the foreseeable future. And one other thing, if people develop — two years, five years, ten years out, if they begin to develop certain kinds of bronchial illnesses or cancers, Norfolk Southern should be on the hook there, too. I just wrote, with Sen. Tester (D-MT), legislation called the PACT Act, which focuses on men and women in the service that were exposed to these football-field-sized burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. We listed 23 illnesses that were — we think — medical science [thinks] are caused by that, and if you present to any VA with one of those 23 illnesses, you get immediate care, you don’t have to hire a lawyer and all that. We’re looking for that same construct, if you will, to take care of people in East Palestine.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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