Vice President J.D. Vance and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin sent a joint letter to the EPA Inspector General requesting an investigation into the Biden-Harris administration’s response to the February 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Aug. 28.
The request, coming more than three years after the disaster, signals the administration’s intent to build a formal federal record around how the prior administration handled one of the most visible environmental crises in recent American history. East Palestine residents have continued to report health concerns since the derailment.
Vance, who represents Ohio, has made East Palestine a political priority since the derailment sent a plume of toxic chemicals into the air and waterways surrounding the small town near the Pennsylvania border, the vice president’s office said.
If opened, the IG investigation would be an independent federal inquiry into EPA and other federal agencies’ performance during the emergency response and long-term remediation. Inspector general investigations can result in findings of mismanagement, waste or policy failures.
The Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed on Feb. 3, 2023. Authorities conducted a controlled burn of vinyl chloride that sent a massive chemical plume over the region, prompting evacuations and long-term environmental monitoring.
Residents of East Palestine and surrounding communities have reported persistent health symptoms and expressed frustration with the pace of environmental cleanup. Norfolk Southern has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to remediation but has faced criticism over the adequacy of those efforts.
The EPA Inspector General’s office has not publicly indicated whether it will open the requested investigation. The IG operates independently from the EPA administrator’s authority.
The joint letter from a sitting vice president and Cabinet-level official to an inspector general is an unusual step that reflects the political weight the administration is placing on the East Palestine issue.