NTSB publishes report of Pete Buttigieg arriving in East Palestine to inspect toxic train derailment.

Feb. 23 (UPI) — As Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to East Palestine, Ohio to see cleanup work Thursday, the NTSB released a brief report outlining the initial events on the night of the train derailment and fire.

Norfolk Southern crew on a freight train that derailed in East Palestine earlier this month tried to stop after an overheated wheel bearing sounded an alarm, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The train was carrying derailed carriages containing 115,580 gallons of vinyl chloride, a colorless dangerous gas. The report says the alarm did not go off until the temperature reached 253 degrees Fahrenheit above ambient temperature.

“After the train stopped, the crew noticed fire and smoke and notified the East Cleveland dispatcher of a possible derailment,” the report said. NTSB report says.

“With the permission of the dispatcher, the crew put hand brakes on the two cars at the head of the train, uncoupled the head locomotives and moved the locomotives about one mile away from the uncoupled cars. Rescuers arrived at the crash site and began liquidation. “

The report was released the same day Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg arrived in East Palestine to speak with the public and officials, and the day after former President Donald Trump visited the area.

Buttigieg shared photo himself at the site on Thursday morning where teams with the Environmental Protection Agency were on the ground near the derailment site on February 3 continuously testing air and water quality.

“I’m in East Palestine, Ohio this morning to see the crash site of Norfolk Southern, hear from investigators and meet with the first responders,” Buttigieg wrote on Instagram. “USDOT will continue its work to ensure security and accountability.”

Earlier, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation noted that Buttigieg did not want to be distracted from the emergency phase of the disaster before “moving into the long-term recovery phase.”

Meanwhile, the White House has yet to announce whether President Joe Biden will visit eastern Palestine after the president returns from Ukraine and Poland.

Buttigieg arrived after urging Congress and the freight rail industry to step up safety measures to prevent future derailments. The EPA also ordered Norfolk Southern this week to clean up the area or face federal fines and sanctions that will more than triple the company’s costs.

On Wednesday, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw announced that the company plans to dig and haul the earth from the disaster site and replace the railroad tracks as part of a comprehensive response plan.

Shaw said the company was forced to rethink its plan after conversations with the community revealed additional concerns.

“It’s important to me that members of this community have confidence in Norfolk Southern’s recovery efforts and that we work closely with local, state and federal agencies,” Shaw said in a statement. “A big part of this plan is listening to the community and that’s the main reason we’re going to improve our plan.”

Also on Wednesday, the company said that reached a deal with one of the largest unions, which will allow 3,000 employees to take up to seven days of paid sick leave per year.

Buttigieg’s visit on Thursday also came after former President Donald Trump delivered a speech Wednesday at an East Palestine fire station along with Republican Senator J.D. Vance, U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, Ohio State Senator Michael Rulli and the oldest president. son Donald Trump Jr.

Trump called the incident a “tragedy.” praised the first responders and Norfolk Southern’s ongoing cleanup efforts, with nervous residents saying “you’re not forgotten” amid growing fears of mass contamination across the region.

The former president said his organization would complement the federal response by donating cleaning supplies and bottled water to affected families.

“It means that the affected communities outside of Eastern Palestine will be taken care of, and they said so. They said it loud and clear and I think they probably mean it,” Trump said.

During a speech in a small town of about 5,000 people, Trump criticized the White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for not responding more quickly to the disaster.

“When I announced that I would come, they changed the tone. It was an amazing phenomenon,” Trump told the crowd.

“I sincerely hope that when your representatives and all the politicians come here, including Biden, they return from a trip to Ukraine, he will have money left,” Trump said.

Trump, who announced his third run for the White House last November, was warmly welcomed by the crowd, with many waving Trump 2024 campaign flags and chanting “USA!” and “We love you, Trump!”

This week, the White House criticized Trump for reversing Obama-era rules that would have likely averted disaster.

“Congressional Republicans and former Trump administration officials should apologize to East Palestine for selling them to rail industry lobbyists when they dismantled Obama-Biden railroad protections and the EPA’s powers to quickly contain spills.” Andrew Bates said in a statement. “Republicans in Congress laid the groundwork for the Trump administration to end demands for more efficient train brakes, and last year a majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives wanted to take away our ability to protect drinking water.”

Three days after the crash, emergency workers feared an explosion that caused the controlled burning of massive amounts of vinyl chloride, sending a large plume of black smoke into the atmosphere.

Residents were given permission to return home five days after the crash but have since become increasingly fearful for their health and safety as many have experienced persistent symptoms including burning eyes, headaches, nausea and skin irritation.

For several days, officials were on the ground trying to quell the panic, which was exacerbated by some 3,500 small fish that were found dead in several miles of streams after the crash.

Despite continued assurances from local authorities, many East Palestinians remain convinced that drinking water, livestock, crops and livestock have already suffered in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

Both Pennsylvania and Ohio are also considering criminal charges against the company for possible failures that led to the disaster.

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