Regarding The Norfolk Southern Toxic Derailment

Some have labeled the recent derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, America's Chernobyl. The toxic cloud has exposed thousands to carcinogenic chemicals. Here's the story:

1. The present US Administration allowed the train to be labeled “non-hazardous,” because “only” 20 of the cars contained hazardous materials.

2. The Biden Administration gave this train an explicit waiver, knowing it needed repairs to its navigation and braking system.

3. It took 13 days after the derailment for residents to be given some specific information on the concentrations of vinyl chloride, phosgene and other toxins.

4. Residents were told to return while carcinogenic air toxins were still present.

5. Biden administration approved plans to ignite toxic vinyl chloride, producing massive amounts of the even more toxic phosgene. And then they admitted it was the wrong strategy.

6. Vinyl chloride could have been sucked out of the rail cars and moved to a proper disposal site, but this more safe choice was not made.

7. 12 days after the catastrophe, the US President has failed to address the American public.

8. The Biden administration has failed to publish data on the number of people exposed to carcinogenic levels of toxins, although hundreds are experiencing wounds and suffering and thousands of animals and pets have died.

9. The White House has failed to disclose quantities of toxic water pollutants and particulate toxins deposited on soils, both of which will have long-term environmental toxins for the local residents.

This is a huge environmental disaster that is not getting much media attention. Why is that?

— Dalila Epperson, Monterey