Report states White House hid chemical spill cancer hazard
(MENAFN)
A government watchdog group has accused the Biden administration of concealing the true health risks associated with the 2023 toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. According to the Government Accountability Project (GAP), documents obtained through a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) suggest that federal officials knowingly withheld critical information from the public.
A government watchdog group has accused the Biden administration of concealing the true health risks associated with the 2023 toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. According to the Government Accountability Project (GAP), documents obtained through a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) suggest that federal officials knowingly withheld critical information from the public.
The incident occurred on February 3, 2023, when a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous chemicals—including vinyl chloride—derailed near East Palestine. The spill led to environmental contamination and the controlled burning of five tankers, which released toxic substances into the air and water. In the aftermath, residents reported health issues and unexplained illnesses, while animals in the area died under unclear circumstances.
Despite these concerns, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) later declared the area safe, citing monitoring results, and President Joe Biden praised his administration’s handling of the crisis. However, both the EPA and the White House were criticized for downplaying the severity of the disaster, with Biden facing backlash for delaying his visit to the affected community.
GAP investigator Lesley Pacey said the group uncovered internal communications between FEMA, the EPA, and the White House that described the chemical spill as “really toxic” and potentially capable of causing long-term health problems, including cancer clusters. These warnings, however, were never disclosed to the public.
In a recent interview with NewsNation, Pacey revealed that FEMA officials were aware the controlled burn released a harmful chemical plume and that the resulting health risks could require two decades of medical monitoring. Instead of addressing these dangers, she claimed, the Biden administration prioritized public reassurance over transparency.
Additionally, GAP obtained emails showing that FEMA's coordinator on the ground was instructed not to interact with East Palestine residents, further fueling accusations of a deliberate cover-up.
“They completely mishandled this disaster from day one,” Pacey said, summarizing the findings.
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