Ohio Republican Senator JD Vance visited East Palestine Thursday to assess the damage caused by the train derailment that occurred nearly two weeks ago and unveiled a video of the "disgusting" chemical spill.
Vance went through the Leslie Run Creek and shared a video on social media showing the contamination left behind and the effect it has had on wildlife.
"This is disgusting. And the fact that we have not cleaned up the train crash, the fact that these chemicals are still seeping into the ground is an insult to the people who live in East Palestine," he said.
The senator said that many dead worms and fish could be seen in the water. He scraped the bottom of the creek bed with a stick to show the "chemicals coming out of the ground."
"Do not forget these people, we've got to keep applying pressure," he said, highlighting that more efforts should be made to clean up what was left by the train derailment.
Visited a local creek in East Palestine today. These waterways are still very polluted. It’s time for Norfolk Southern to finish the cleanup. Check this video out: pic.twitter.com/4lsHBmrMJj
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) February 16, 2023
More than 3,500 dead fish
According to a recent report from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, about 3,500 fish have died since February 3 from contaminants left behind from the chemical spill.
"What we're experiencing — local fish in our creeks have died… oily sheens and coloration in our water… [the] constant smell of burning plastics and chemicals in the air… issues with our dog… vomiting, acting lethargic. It's scary stuff here," said Nathan Izotic, a resident of East Palestine.
