Rep. Chris Deluzio visits area of train derailment site, meets with local officials, head of EPA

BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — Freshman Congressman Chris Deluzio was one of several lawmakers from across Pennsylvania and Ohio flanking U.S. EPA head Michael Regan in East Palestine Thursday.

“I think folks have every reason to be mad, to be worried, to be scared,” Deluzio said.

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He represents Beaver and part of Allegheny counties. Twenty-two homes in Darlington Township fell within the evacuation zone following the derailment.

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Channel 11 asked him if Norfolk Southern is doing enough to make things right in affected communities.

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“The short answer is no, but I intend to make sure they do everything [they have to] to make people whole,” he said. “I, like lots of folks in Western PA, live near a railroad. These tracks run through our towns. We’ve got to know what’s happening and, frankly, I think there is a culture of putting profit first.”

Deluzio told Channel 11 he and his team are looking at legislation to deal with the entire railroad system including increasing minimum staffing requirements.

“Three folks being on there meant they could take action to mitigate the harm and the impact of the derailment. Those are real consequences if we have inadequately staffed railroads. That can lead to more harm when this happens again,” he said. “Every single penny of pain they’ve caused folks, they’ve got to be held accountable for that.”

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He’s also pushing for independent testing of air and water. Testing has come under scrutiny by many in and outside of the immediate area including Johns Hopkin Atmospheric Chemist Peter DeCarlo.

He spoke with Channel 11′s Susan Koeppen.

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When asked if he would go home if he lived in the impacted area he said, “With the data I have available to me at this point, no I would not.”

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Johns Hopkins air quality expert weighs in on safety in East Palestine after train derailment

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