The head of the National Transportation Safety Board on Friday urged the public to stop spreading misinformation about the Feb. 3 toxic freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, as White House officials continued to defend their response to the incident.
"To everyone affected: know that @NTSB is working vigorously to understand what caused this train derailment — so it never happens again," NTSB chief Jennifer Homendy tweeted. "You have my personal commitment that the NTSB will CONTINUE to share all information publicly as soon as possible following our analysis.
"Nothing… nothing is more important than accuracy at a moment like this, which is why the NTSB is deliberate in our approach to investigations. Credibility is ESSENTIAL to our lifesaving mission. The NTSB process WORKS," she added.
"Anyone speculating about what happened, didn't happen, or should've happened is misleading a suffering community – PLEASE STOP SPREADING MISINFORMATION," she said, citing the safety rule passed under former President Barack Obama that made it a requirement for trains carrying hazardous flammable materials to have electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes.
Former President Donald Trump rescinded the rule in 2017.
Homendy said statements that the brake rule, if implemented, would've prevented this derailment are false.
"The ECP braking rule would've applied ONLY to HIGH HAZARD FLAMMABLE TRAINS," she tweeted.
"The train that derailed in East Palestine was a MIXED FREIGHT TRAIN containing only 3 placarded Class 3 flammable liquids cars. This means even if the rule had gone into effect, this train wouldn't have had ECP brakes."
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg earlier this week appeared to put blame for the derailment on the Trump administration.
"We're constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation (like the braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015), but we are using the powers we do have to keep people safe," Buttigieg tweeted.
The Biden administration on Friday said it has "mobilized a robust, multi-agency effort to support the people of East Palestine, Ohio," since the derailment. Michael Regan, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, visited the site Thursday, walking along a creek that still reeks of chemicals as he sought to reassure skeptical residents that the water is fit for drinking and the air safe to breathe.
No other Cabinet member has visited the rural village, where about 5,000 people live near the Pennsylvania line. But administration officials insisted that their response has been immediate and effective.
Since the derailment, residents have complained about headaches and irritated eyes and finding their cars and lawns covered in soot. The hazardous chemicals that spilled from the train killed thousands of fish, and residents have talked about finding dying or sick pets and wildlife.
Residents also are frustrated by what they say is incomplete and vague information about the lasting effects from the disaster, which prompted evacuations.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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