JD Vance slammed for delayed reaction to Ohio train derailment: ‘Gibberish’

Bevan Hurley
·2 min read
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Ohio Senator JD Vance is facing criticism for taking 10 days to issue a statement about a train derailment near East Palestine that forced thousands of residents to flee their homes due to a toxic chemical spill.

The 3 February crash sparked a large fire and left hazardous materials including vinyl chloride, a volatile odorless gas, and phosgene seeping into the water supply.

On 13 February, Mr Vance said in a statement released on his Twitter page that he was “horrified” by the crash.

He said that “many questions remain” about when it will be safe for residents to return to East Palestine.

Mr Vance added that the crash was part of a troubling trend of “catastrophic infrastructure problems in our country” and that he was committed to understanding the long-term environmental impacts.

“I am dedicated to ensuring that the relevant authorities do not use tests conducted as a permission slip to pack up and go home,” Mr Vance wrote.

Ohio Senator JD Vance made his first substantive public statement about the Ohio rail crash 10 days after the derailment (Associated Press)
Ohio Senator JD Vance made his first substantive public statement about the Ohio rail crash 10 days after the derailment (Associated Press)

The tweet coincided with an appearance on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show, in which Mr Vance claimed that the Biden administration were more concerned about diversity hiring than fixing failing infrastructure.

Twitter users questioned why it had taken Mr Vance so long to release a statement.

“10 days too late and gibberish,” wrote Ned Pile in response.

A black plume of smoke rises over East Palestine after a train derailment on 3 February (Associated Press)
A black plume of smoke rises over East Palestine after a train derailment on 3 February (Associated Press)

Christopher Hale, a former Democratic candidate from Tennessee, wrote: “The accident happened nine days ago, and this is your first public comment. In the mean time, you had time to tweet this prolific insight,” and linked to a tweet Mr Vance posted four days ago about Mexican pizza.

Mr Vance first responded to the rail disaster on 4 February, when he said his team was “monitoring” the situation.

Sherrod Brown, the Democratic senator from Ohio, made his first statement about the crash in a Twitter post on 6 February.

Meanwhile, the fallout from the Norfolk Southern Railway derailment that forced mass evacuations continues.

Among the 50 cars that derailed, 20 were carrying hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, a toxic and flammable gas and phosgene, a gas deployed as a chemical weapon in the First World War.

The Environmental Protection Agency said that  butyl acrylate chemicals have leaked into the Ohio River Basin, potential spoiling the drinking water for 25 million people.