WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and John Fetterman (D-PA) sent a letter to Thomas Vilsack, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Michael S. Regan, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to address the concerns of farmers and agricultural producers in and around the Norfolk Southern derailment site in East Palestine. The senators request that USDA and US EPA quickly deploy resources to the region to help farmers conduct any necessary testing of their soils, plant tissue, and livestock and to interpret the results of those tests as they pertain to the safety and marketability of their crops and products. The letter also requests that USDA and US EPA begin reviewing what authorities, in terms of disaster assistance, could be deployed to address the situation and provide assistance to these local producers.
“As these farmers prepare for planting and marketing efforts, they are left wondering what impacts the derailment and chemical release will have on the safety of their products and the viability of their farms. At this point in time, neither the U.S. Department of Agriculture nor the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – or any other federal or state agencies have provided clear guidance to either our agricultural producers in the region or consumers of those products,” wrote the lawmakers.
Senator Brown is working with members of both parties to secure resources for Ohioans and to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for cleaning up the damage their corporate greed has caused to the community, following the train derailment in East Palestine. Brown has been to East Palestine to meet with Ohioans and respond to their needs.
Brown led a bipartisan group of colleagues, including his Ohio colleague Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), to introduce his Railway Safety Act of 2023 to improve rail safety protocols, finally standing up to railroad company lobbyists so that no other community has to deal with what East Palestine and others in Ohio, including Springfield, Sandusky and Steubenville, have dealt with. Ohio news outlets have praised Brown’s bipartisan plan as “wise,” “commonsense” reforms that “could help keep people across the country safer.” The legislation comes after Brown worked with Vance and others to raise concerns to the NTSB about lax rail safety rules that allowed the crash to happen.
A copy of the letter is available HERE and below:
Dear Secretary Vilsack and Administrator Regan:
We write regarding the February 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern train derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border in East Palestine, Ohio. As the emergency removal phase is ending and efforts are turning to long-term remediation, we are hearing from farmers and agricultural producers who are concerned about the impacts of the derailment and associated release of hazardous materials on their livelihoods.
The 2023 planting season is quickly approaching, followed by spring harvest of overwintered crops, such as alfalfa and winter wheat, that are typically sold as feed to dairies in the region. As these farmers prepare for planting and marketing efforts, they are left wondering what impacts the derailment and chemical release will have on the safety of their products and the viability of their farms. At this point in time, neither the U.S. Department of Agriculture nor the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – or any other federal or state agencies have provided clear guidance to either our agricultural producers in the region or consumers of those products. Producers are concerned not only over the lack information about the safety of their crops and livestock but also whether they will be able to market them due to market and consumer concerns about the safety of their products. Farmers in the region are already reporting receiving requests to cancel orders due to these very concerns.
Farmers and food producers around East Palestine and Darlington Township need assistance in responding to this man-made disaster. We urge you to work with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Ohio State University Extension, and the Penn State University Extension services to begin quickly deploying resources to the region to help farmers conduct any necessary testing of their soils, plant tissue, and livestock and to interpret the results of those tests as they pertain to the safety and marketability of their crops and products.
Regardless of the results of any testing and guidance on the safety of crops and products there are those consumers that will still be apprehensive or refuse to purchase agricultural products from the region due to fear of contamination from the incident. As such we ask that you begin reviewing what authorities in terms of disaster assistance that could be deployed to address the situation. We also request technical assistance regarding changes that would need to be made to disaster programs in the next farm bill that would expand assistance to producers who have been impacted by man-made disasters, including chemicals spills.
Sincerely,
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