(NewsNation) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s response to the train derailment in East Palestine has stumped Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Sunday, Buttigieg sent a letter to the CEO of Norfolk Southern. He warned that the rail company must “demonstrate unequivocal support for the people” of East Palestine.
“Norfolk Southern must live up to its commitment to make residents whole — and must also live up to its obligation to do whatever it takes to stop putting communities such as East Palestine at risk,” Buttigieg wrote. “This is the right time for Norfolk Southern to take a leadership position within the rail industry, shifting to a posture that focuses on supporting, not thwarting, efforts to raise the standard of U.S. rail safety regulation.”
Buttigieg’s letter comes more than two weeks after the fiery derailment of one of the company’s trains Feb. 3. Of the 50 cars that derailed, 10 were carrying hazardous materials.
“What puzzles me about Sec. Buttigieg is that he went 10 days without even saying anything publicly about this. He’s the one that’s got operational control over the transportation system. The best he can do is, two weeks later, issue a strong letter? Come on, man. If you can’t step up, step down,” Yost said during an interview with “On Balance” host Leland Vittert on Monday.
The derailment has left the rural town grappling with the aftereffects and mounting health concerns. The Environmental Protection Agency reports there is no indication of risk to East Palestine public water, but residents, including Rick and Tammy Tsai, are skeptical about the quality of their water, air and land.
“It’s funny that we’re told to believe what we say and not what you see. I invite anybody to come over to my house. We’ll take a walk over to the creek and you’ll see deadly chemicals poisoning the entire area,” Rick said Sunday during an interview with Natasha Zouves on “NewsNation Prime.”
Yost doesn’t expect East Palestine residents to know the downstream impacts of the derailment for a while and understands why they have questions.
“Well, I certainly understand why people might be skeptical at this point. That’s not to say that I agree that the skepticism is justified of the scientists that were working on this at the EPA. I think they’re giving the best information they have. The problem is what we don’t know. The problem is the data we don’t have,” Yost said.
Also two weeks after the derailment, the CEO of Norfolk Southern, Alan Shaw, appeared on camera to issue an apology. Shaw said he was “terribly sorry that this happened to the community.”
He added that the company “is fully committed to doing what’s right for this community.”
Yost said since the derailment investigation is in its early stages, whether Norfolk Southern will be held responsible remains to be seen. But he made a commitment to stick up for the people of East Palestine.
“I’m committed to make sure that (the company is) held accountable. In fact, while you can’t unring the bell, we can’t make it as though this nightmare has never happened. People can be compensated for their losses, for the health impacts, and they should be, whether that’s done voluntarily by Norfolk Southern or there’s already several private lawsuits that have been brought,” Yost said.
According to Buttigieg, the National Transportation Safety Board is looking into what caused the derailment as the Federal Railroad Administration examines whether there were any safety violations linked to the derailment. The transportation secretary said rail companies such as Norfolk Southern have spent millions of dollars lobbying members of Congress and in courts to stop “common-sense safety regulations.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.