National Transportation Safety Board official on toxic Ohio train derailment: 'Enough with the politics on this'
AP Photo/Matt Freed
- An NTSB official slammed those politicizing the toxic train derailment in Ohio.
- "Enough with the politics on this," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters on Thursday.
- Republicans and GOP lawmakers have criticized the Biden administration's handling of the incident.
A National Transportation Safety Board official on Thursday slammed those who have been politicizing the toxic freight train derailment in Ohio.
"Enough with the politics on this. Enough with the politics," impassioned NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters during a press conference after the federal government agency released its preliminary report on the incident in East Palestine, Ohio.
Homendy, who was asked about former President Donald Trump's recent visit to the crash site, continued, "I don't understand why this has gotten so political. This is a community that is suffering. This is not about politics."
"What I care about is caring for [the community]. What I care about is figuring out how this happened and what I care about and what the NTSB cares about is getting to what would prevent this from reoccurring," Homendy said.
"Safety is the only thing we care about," the official said, adding, "Politics is left at the door."
A Norfolk Southern Railway train hauling hazardous substances derailed on February 3 in the small Ohio village near the Pennsylvania border, spewing dangerous chemicals, sparking a massive fire and prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents.
In the aftermath of the wreck, some GOP lawmakers criticized the Biden administration's handling of the incident.
Trump — who is running to reclaim the White House in 2024 and was among those taking aim at the Biden administration — visited the site of the crash on Wednesday. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg went to the derailment site on Thursday.
The train derailment has devolved into a political frenzy with Republicans bashing Buttigieg for not visiting the crash site sooner.
Meanwhile, Homendy on Thursday called the derailment of 38 train cars "100% preventable."
"We call things accidents. There is no accident," Homendy said, explaining, "Every single event we investigate is preventable."
According to the NTSB's preliminary report, a wheel bearing on the train overheated to 253 degrees Fahrenheit above ambient temperatures just before the derailment.
"Surveillance video from a local residence showed what appeared to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment," the report says. "The wheel bearing and affected wheelset have been collected as evidence and will be examined by the NTSB."