Husted: Accountability push must persist in Ohio derailment

(NewsNation) — The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing Friday in East Palestine, Ohio to discuss the hazardous train derailment that devastated the small town in February.

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted told NewsNation that his satisfaction with the work that’s been done over the past seven months is based on what the East Palesntie community thinks “is the right thing.”

“The director of the Ohio EPA expects it will be cleaned up by the end of October, but will stay until the people of the community the mayor, and the leaders there are satisfied with what’s happened,” Husted said.

Husted said he thinks it’s “a good idea” the focus continues to remain on this issue.

“I think it’s a good idea that they continue to keep the focus on this so that the Biden administration doesn’t fail to act, from the Department of Transportation point of view to the debt disaster declaration, to keep the focus on this community so that Norfolk Southern does keep up their end of the bargain,” he explained.

Republican Congressmen Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Bill Johnson, who announced the hearing, will assess the cleanup progress following the train wreck. Additionally, they’ll hear from the community, local business leaders, and the Ohio EPA about the effects of the derailment.

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw and East Palestine Mayor Trent R. Conaway were invited to testify.

“I think that the hearing, you’ll continue to hear those voices from the local community detail the things that they would like to see happen,” he said.

He added: “They should continue to make their voices heard. The mayor will be represented at this field hearing. You just can’t let the issue die. You got to keep the pressure on. The governor and I and Ohio EPA and our congressional representatives will be partners in making sure that this community gets the response that it deserves.”