The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will deploy federal services to eastern Palestine, Ohio, two weeks after the train disaster, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced on Friday.
“After further discussions with FEMA tonight, they will deploy federal resources to eastern Palestine,” the Ohio governor said.
Further to further discussions with FEMA tonight, they will deploy federal resources to eastern Palestine. pic.twitter.com/T8exeZBRXs
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) February 18, 2023
“FEMA and the State of Ohio have been in constant contact regarding emergency operations in eastern Palestine,” reads a joint statement from Governor DeWine and the FEMA Regional Administrator. , Thomas C. Sivak, published Friday.
“The US EPA and the Ohio EPA have worked together since day one,” the joint statement continues.
“Tomorrow, FEMA will complement federal efforts by deploying a senior response official as well as a regional Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) to support ongoing operations, including coordination and ongoing assessments of potential long-term recovery needs,” the statement added.
In a statement released Thursday – before it was announced that FEMA will be deployed to eastern Palestine – the Ohio governor’s office said it had been in daily contact with FEMA to discuss the need for federal support, but that “FEMA continues to tell Governor DeWine that Ohio is not eligible for assistance at this time.
Governor DeWine’s press secretary Dan Tierney told Breitbart News on Thursday that the situation in eastern Palestine was considered ineligible for a disaster declaration by FEMA because – although the train derailment is clearly a disaster – it technically did not involve the destruction of property.
A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio following the controlled detonation of part of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains on Feb. 6, 2023. The West Virginia Water Department says that he is taking precautionary measures after a train carrying chemicals derailed which then sent a toxic plume into Ohio. The utility said in a statement Sunday, Feb. 16, 2023, that it has improved its treatment processes even though there has been no change in raw water at its Ohio River water intake. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)
“We are not eligible for a FEMA disaster declaration, FEMA has told us we will not meet the qualifications at this time,” Tierney said at the time. “And the reason for that is that FEMA disaster declarations relate to property damage, and property damage only.”
In addition to Friday’s announcement that FEMA will now be deployed to eastern Palestine, DeWine’s office also revealed that Ohio will be setting up a medical clinic in the city this coming week “to engage with residents, answer questions, assess symptoms and provide medical expertise”. .”
The governor’s office added that in response to a request from DeWine, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will send federal officials to eastern Palestine to support the clinic.
The announcement of FEMA’s deployment to eastern Palestine comes just after it was revealed that former President Donald Trump is planning to visit the small Ohio town next week.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangeloand on Instagram.
Breitbart
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