LIVE: Senate committee holding hearing on train derailment

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WKBN) — The Senate’s Select Committee on Rail Safety is holding a hearing on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine.

Chaired by Senator Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) and Vice Chair Michael Rulli (R-Salem), the committee is taking testimony and questioning state agency officials and experts working on the scene in East Palestine.

Senators started their questioning with Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Ann Vogel. They asked for updates on soil remediation and monitoring efforts.

Vogel said cleanup work is going smoothly, and the next steps are that Norfolk Southern will remove the train tracks and remove the contaminated soil from underneath the tracks. So far, the soil from the center of the tracks has been removed and hauled away.

Sen. Rulli relayed the concerns of locals, including questions from local farmers, who asked whether they should be worried about planting crops. Vogel asked for patience and said part of Norfolk Southern’s work plan is for soil testing, which will be ongoing.

She said the experts who have studied this have determined that there were no contaminants in the air that would come back down to the soil.

Rulli also said he has concerns about the communities surrounding East Palestine and about people’s mental health. He also said he would like to get a new fire station built and remove the one that was close to the derailment site. He added that they want to build a fire academy to teach firefighters how to put out chemical fires.

Senators also questioned Ohio EPA Assistant Director Mark Johnson about how exposure to the chemicals involved may impact adults and children. Johnson declined to comment on any medical issues, saying those at the agency are not medical experts.

Senate President Matt Huffman said the committee’s mission is to understand what happened and what the Ohio General Assembly can do to help East Palestine recover.

Also serving on the committee is Senate Transportation Committee Chair Sen. Stephanie Kunze (R-Dublin), Sen. Frank Hoagland (R-Mingo Junction), Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson), Sen. Al Landis (R-Dover), Sen. Louis W. Blessing, III (R-Colerain Township), Ranking Member Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood), Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) and Sen. Catherine Ingram (D-Toledo).

WKBN is in Columbus to cover the hearing live. Check back here for updates on this developing story.