Vance Demands Probe of Biden EPA Derailment Response

Vice President JD Vance and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin are demanding an independent investigation into how the Biden administration handled the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

The two sent a letter this week to EPA Inspector General Nicole Murley asking her office to review federal and private decisions made before, during and after the derailment, according to Newsmax and the Washington Examiner.

Vance posted the letter to X on Friday, alleging the previous administration withheld public health risks from the town.

"If the Biden administration withheld public health risks from the community, they must be held accountable," Vance wrote. "Today, I am formally calling for an investigation into who knew what, and when."

What Happened in East Palestine

The train derailed in East Palestine in February 2023, when Vance was an Ohio senator. It was hauling 20 cars carrying hazardous materials, including at least five toxic chemicals, the Washington Examiner reported.

More than a million pounds of vinyl chloride and other toxins were burned in a controlled release that Norfolk Southern officials proposed out of fear the cars could explode. Residents later reported lung scarring, rashes and other health problems.

The National Transportation Safety Board found a defective wheel bearing caused the derailment and that Norfolk Southern failed to properly inform first responders of the hazards in the cars, WKBN reported. The NTSB also concluded the vent-and-burn operation was not necessary; Norfolk Southern has said it was done to avoid an uncontrolled explosion.

The Documents

Vance did not specify which records he was referring to, WKBN reported. But a watchdog release this week showed federal officials had privately worried about potential casualties from the burn — information that differed from what was said publicly, according to the Washington Examiner.

Separately, a report obtained by NewsNation and cited by WKBN showed elevated levels of carcinogenic compounds in village soil and water. NewsNation reported those results were gathered by Stephen Petty, hired as a testing expert by lawyers in the $600 million class-action suit, and were never released — not even to their own clients.

Independent testing expert Scott Smith told NewsNation that 49% of his East Palestine dioxin samples exceeded EPA cancer screening levels. "It's astounding in that it was suppressed," he said, per the Washington Examiner.