It’s been six months in the making. A progress report has been released by Norfolk Southern Railroad (NS) outlining its efforts following the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment, and its next steps.

It is a 15-page progress report created by the railroad. It covers the work of more than 300 NS employees and contractors in various areas – environmental remediation, governance efforts, safety efforts, and community support for East Palestine and the surrounding communities.

The residents are concerned about the quality of the air and water in East Palestine. The railroad says the testing began right away, within hours of the train derailment. The report alleges that both are safe. It also claims that farming is back to normal.

The Class I railroad said air quality testing “began within hours of the derailment and has continued daily ever since,” with monitoring performed by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and an independent team of scientists, including the independent consulting firm, CTEH. “It continues to show the air in the East Palestine community is safe,” NS said. “Based on thousands of data points, the EPA and toxicologists at CTEH concur; the data collected does not indicate any short- or long-term risks.”

As for water, the municipal drinking water “is safe, as shown through weekly sampling by the Ohio EPA and a team of independent scientists,” NS reported. “In addition, the Columbiana County Health Department and independent scientists have tested more than 750 drinking water wells and have concluded the water from these wells is safe to drink. We are developing plans with East Palestine and the State of Ohio to ensure municipal and private well drinking water remains safe to drink in the future.” Also, the railroad reported that it has seen “significant ecological recovery in many downstream waterways, and we remain committed to restoring them, particularly Sulphur Run and Leslie Run.”

Because East Palestine is an agricultural area, it is important to ensure the soil around the derailment site is safe, said NS, which noted that farmers “are now operating as normal.” The railroad in June completed remediating both tracks that run through East Palestine, including the removal of the underlying soil in response to feedback from the community and the EPA.

The report includes new governance measures – weekly board meetings to oversee its community recovery and site-specific mitigation efforts, along with establishing a Vice President of Safety position, which was filled by a 17-year NS veteran. Safety has been added to new executive compensation metrics. In other words, there are financial incentive goals based on measurable and publicly reported safety metrics.

The railroad appointed a consultant company to conduct an independent review of the railroad’s safety culture and safety-related training programs. Those results are expected in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The community support is a section I was interested in.

NS will continue to invest in East Palestine and the surrounding areas “for as long as it takes to help these communities recover and thrive,” the railroad reported. “Our financial assistance is only part of our promise to make these communities whole.”

Its Family Service Center is the main point of contact between NS and community members and has helped more than 10,400 families, “many of them multiple times,” according to the railroad. Overall, the railroad reported committing more than $64 million to support East Palestine and nearby communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

East Palestine residents feel abandoned by the federal government and who could blame them? Biden hasn’t bothered to go there, though he said he would. Air Force One almost flew directly over East Palestine when the president was en route to Milwaukee to tout Bidenomics last week. Biden could have scheduled a stop but he didn’t. According to public flight data, AF One flew within about 20 miles of East Palestine.

Last week Senator J.D. Vance called out Biden for his lack of fulfilling his promise to visit the town.

Biden is still facing criticism over his response to the derailment and its subsequent fallout. On Monday, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, visited East Palestine and blasted Biden in an op-ed for the Columbus Dispatch accusing him of “ignoring” pleas for help, and calling his response “inexcusable.”

“One hundred and sixty-six days ago, Joe Biden promised he would visit East Palestine. He has failed to keep that promise,” Vance wrote. “Not only has Joe Biden refused to visit East Palestine, but he has also refused to grant critical assistance to the recovery effort.”

Vance cited the state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration that has not been approved by Biden, as well as “woefully inadequate” cleanup efforts.”

That declaration is reported to be sitting on Biden’s desk and has been for a month. Maybe if he could stop by his office sometime when he’s not on vacation, he could sign it for the people in Ohio.

The clean-up is not finished and now the EPA predicts it will be next year before all of the work is done. That is quite a different timeline than was first given to the residents. They were told the work would be finished by June. Then July. Now it’s next year.

People in East Palestine complain about medical issues from the aftermath of the train derailment, and the toxic chemicals that came from that derailment and went into the air and water. They need help.

Is it because East Palestine is predominantly Trump country, a red part of Ohio, that prevents Biden from visiting? He visits lots of other places that have faced natural or manmade disasters. He and his wife are leaving their vacation today to go to Maui and visit the site of the wildfires. Hawaii is a very blue state. Nonetheless, he put off going to Maui for two weeks as Democrats complained about the lack of attention from the Biden administration. This president is completely inept when managing the aftermath of disasters. His administration is reactive, not proactive. I hope the people in East Palestine and the surrounding area get the answers they seek and the help they need.