ALMIRON: Ohio train derailment could be Biden administration's worst blunder yet
Column: The Other Side of the Story
The most worrying issues in the national agenda only seem to resurface when there is a catastrophe.
The national debate on environmental policy in the U.S. was violently revived when on February 3, a train derailment in the village of East Palestine, Ohio, spilled chemical contents from 38 cars, many of which were on fire.
The result of this was devastating.
To date, nearly 2 million gallons of liquid wastewater and approximately 700 tons of solid waste have been disposed of, with much more to haul in order to clean the area.
While the administration's immediate response was the evacuation of the area, residents reported some concerning health effects, such as rashes, sore throats, headaches and burning eyes upon returning to their homes.
The effects on residents' health and the environment correlate with the deaths of more than 43,000 animals. Despite this, reports claim that the air and water quality of East Palestine is normal. This is not the first time government-sanctioned environmental reports have clashed with public opinion or other researchers, as demonstrated by the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
This already complicated issue had a hard time gaining public attention, as most people seemed to pay more attention to China's surveillance balloon and the upcoming Super Bowl than the crisis in Ohio. Some critics pointed this out, but now, a month after, news outlets should have already informed most of the public of this situation.
With enough information on the derailment, one can point many fingers at different factors. The first is Norfolk Southern Corporation, which owned the rail and neglected safety precautions for transporting chemicals. Due to the effects of the derailment, the company is now facing several lawsuits from residents. Rail unions also warned about a possible disaster due to the dismissal of safety guidelines, but they were seemingly ignored by corporations, like Norfolk.
This takes us to the second and most significant factor I would like to address: the federal government. President Joseph R. Biden's administration signed a bill making rail strikes illegal, further disempowering rail unions and letting events like this continue to occur.
In response to the incident, the resources sent to East Palestine, as shown by the White House, may have been adequate to investigate the environmental impact of the derailment. At least, bureaucratically, the Biden administration may have taken the proper steps to attempt to reduce the impact of the derailment. But this means nothing to the political narrative that it recently neglected.
The attention of top officials was mediocre. As if the low visibility to the public during the first weeks was not enough, important officials failed to express their concern to the media. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was widely criticized for his late arrival on February 23, almost three weeks after the incident.
Most importantly, Biden's own comments on the issue have been disappointing. When asked if he would visit the crash site on February 24, he was quoted saying, "At this point, I'm not."
On March 2, he said he would visit East Palestine "at some point."
It is easy to perceive reluctance and general indifference from these statements. Political opponents have not hesitated to take advantage of this.
Considering Biden placed enormous trust in American companies in the State of the Union, this disaster is a major problem for the reliability of national companies and the reputation of American infrastructure.
Republicans opposed to Biden's support for Ukraine and his latest visit also claim that his priorities are mixed up. Multiple blows to public relations are a recipe for political chaos on top of the environmental effects of the derailment.
At the end of the day, who is it that profits the most from this? Populists.
Former President Donald J. Trump, who seeks re-election in 2024, has visited East Palestine and other places in Ohio to promote himself. When Biden failed to make a concrete statement or visit to support the people of East Palestine, Trump told residents face-to-face, "You are not forgotten."
The rural vote, essential for Trump's victory in 2016, is still open for the upcoming elections because residents still feel ignored. This sentiment among the rural population has lingered for many years and is unlikely to change soon.
As said by Ohio resident Shea Williams, "I have to imagine that if this had happened in Los Angeles or New York City, the response would have been much different."
The desperation among rural residents is what the latest wave of Right-wing populists like Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga 14) and others have taken advantage of to grow in popularity and make far-Right politics mainstream.
To them, the Ohio derailment is the golden ticket to regaining a platform.
Conservative political allies will surely ride the bandwagon and propel Trump's campaign again. Cooperation between Trump and Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) may hint at what conservative politicians think.
Environmental issues aside, one can only hope that these incidents do not repeat themselves, or the outlook for the 2024 presidential elections will be grim. Biden's administration needs to keep its guard up, or we may see democracy lose on its main promoter's home front before anywhere else in the world.
Paulo Almiron is a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in political science and minoring in planning and public policy. His column, "The Other Side Of The Story," runs on alternate Mondays.
*Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
YOUR VOICE | The Daily Targum welcomes submissions from all readers. Due to space limitations in our print newspaper, letters to the editor must not exceed 900 words. Guest columns and commentaries must be between 700 and 900 words. All authors must include their name, phone number, class year and college affiliation or department to be considered for publication. Please submit via email to oped@dailytargum.com by 4 p.m. to be considered for the following day's publication. Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
