epa, the u.s. epa, we were on site just hours after the derailment. and we have been there since. and we've been testing the air. and yes, we saw a spike in the beginning. but since that spike has dissipated, the air quality readings have been, you know, below that threshold. so, all i can do is really be very transparent and say that we trust the technology and the measurements. but if anyone, and i can tell anyone that is having any kind of health symptoms to follow the doctors orders, show up, have these conversations with your local health authorities. because we all want to get to the bottom of this. we want to connect all of these dots. and we want to make this community hole. and i want to hold norfolk southern accountable, so this community can be whole once again. >> i will say, that a lot of individuals here say they have gone to the doctor, they have gone to the clinic, and the clinic seems completely unprepared for a situation like this. but you just mentioned norfolk southern. and i know you have to go. we're gonna be talking to the ceo of norfolk southern momentarily

epa, the u.s. epa, we were on-site just hours after the derailment. and we have been there since. and we have been testing the air. and yes, we saw a spike in the beginning. but since that spike has dissipated, the air quality readings have been below that threshold. so all i can do is really be very transparent and say that we trust the technology and the measurements. but if anyone, and i compel anyone that is having any kind of health symptoms to follow their doctors orders. show up, to have these conversations with your local health authorities. because we all want to get to the bottom of this. we want to connect all of these dots. and we want to make this community hole. and i want to hold norfolk southern accountable so that this community can be whole once again. >> i will say that a lot of the individuals here say that they have gone to the doctor, they have gone to the clinic, and the clinic seems completely unprepared for situations like this. but you just mentioned norfolk southern, and i know you have to go, we are going to be talking to the ceo of norfolk southern mom

sarah sidener is with michael regan, the epa coordinator. >> we are here in the epa headquarters, with the administrator, michael regan. thank you for coming on this morning. i know you are very, busy for a very unfortunate situation. let's first talk about something that don just mentioned. you went in and with the governor drank a glass of water and said look, things are okay. i will tell you, from one person we spoke to from east palestine, she said when i take a shower my skin burns and i have nausea and constant headaches and i don't believe this safe to drink or the soil is safe to plant anything in or the air is safe to breathe. what do you tell someone that is having symptoms like this? and she is not the only one. >> i think they have a lot of trauma in that community, and people are experiencing a lot of things. the first thing i would say, anybody experiencing any adverse health impact, they should seek medical attention from their primary doctor. and i was with the governor yesterday then opened a new clinic where they can guide people to seek medical attention. you know, i

epa telling abc news today, since the fire went out february 8, epa air monitoring has not detected any levels of health concern in the community that are attributed to the train derailment. residents may smell odors because some of the contaminants released are known to have low odor thresholds." yet confusing informaion persists. >> we are recommending that people in the community consider using bottled water. >> reporter: officials reporting that 3,500 fish across 12 species have died in ohio's waterways. resident linda murphy says she saw some in a local creek. >> there were several dead fish floating at multiple locations along leslie run. >> reporter: she says they won't touch their well water now. >> that's what we bathe in. that's what we drink. that's what we cook with. and that's what i also give to my animals. it was a major concern. and they could not reassure me that the water was safe to drink, they didn't say it wasn't, but they absolutely refrained from saying that it was. >> reporter: the ohio epa telling our cleveland affiliate wews, it doesn't have evidence at this po

i'm interested as a factual matter, is the epa tracking where this cloud of chemicals went? i mean it was a local problem and became a regional problem and is there any information on the effects of those clouds of chemicals? reporter: tucker, the epa is not releasing a lot of the data that they've supposedly been collecting and they were supposed to release data last week on water samples; right. was the water supply contaminated. was ground water contaminated and they've not done any of that. that's another thing that residents are complaining about a lot and they don't know if they can trust their own tap water. they don't want to turn on their taps and a lot of people have wells but they have no clue if their ground water has been contaminated. >> tucker: it's beyond belief. reporter: this is america and a first world country. >> tucker: yeah, or was. nick, i so appreciate that report from the scene in east palestine, ohio. thank you. for over two years now, we've been treated to endless lectures about democracy and i'm defending democracy. if you want to destroy democra

region five administrator from the epa. let's listen in. >> bringing in 15 stations within the community. i continue to be pleased that there've been no exceedances for residential air quality standards and outdoor air quality remains normal. we will continue to offer that air screening service to any resident within the evacuation zone that wants screening. i would like to remind the community that we recently set up a new hotline. it is posted on epa website and the number is (866)361-0526. members of the community can call to the dedicated phone line to be directed to various services including the opportunity to begin the intake product process for scheduling cleaning services. finally, epa and other agencies will participate in a public meeting and open house later this week. more details would be coming soon. i announced moving forward waste disposal plans including disposal locations and transportation routes for contaminated waste would be subject to epa review and approval. today, i am pleased to announce that we h

the federal epa. so, a lot of people are criticizing the secretary of transportation for not getting out there sooner, there's actually not much his visit would accomplish other than making people feel good, and maybe the argument is, that in and of itself, is the appropriate thing. i want to be clear, it's more important that michael regan be there as he has been from the beginning, as the epa's been there since hours after the derailment, making sure that they're assessing and doing the cleanup. >> let me play for you what michael regan said tonight. >> i don't have any questions for the ceo of norfolk southern, i have some orders for the company. and the orders are, the company will comply with our order, which compels them to take full responsibility, full accountability, for the trauma they've inflicted on this community, and the damage that they've caused. >> so far, they're offering residents roughly $7 million. >> the thing is, i don't know if there's a monetary amount, honestly. do you believ

in from the epa. all who are promising to do the right thing, to do the tests, to help the community, to try to create a better economic situation. did you buy it? >> well, i think their present is going to be here. do i buy what they're selling? not necessarily. you know, basically, we're doing -- there promising things over the long term, and that's just an obvious, those things need to be done. they are just saying what's obviously needs to be said. but what are you gonna do right now? immediately? not six years from now, four years from now, three years from now. what are you going to do tomorrow? and what are you going to do next week? what are you gonna do next month? the people here are suffering, and essentially, they're not doing enough. what are you going to do immediately? not next week, next week next month, not next year. what are gonna do right now? are you going to offer to the people the renters and homeowners that want to relocate. why make them wait years and years and years for this

state, loa local or issue. >> they need a c collaborative solution, it will take federal epa, state epa, and county health officials, county emergency management agency. fema, hhs, cdc, but, it is the really road that will bear the responsibility for this i event. the epa adminstrator, michael r regan made that assertion. bbo both governors from ohio and pennsylvania said the same thing that epa has said, that is they will be there for the long haul. i believe everyone is sincere about trying to get this clean up done as quickly and as efficiently as possible. but at the end of the day my job to represent the people there in east palestine is to make sure their needs and concerns are not dismissed. i'm going to be there a lot, i have been on the ground for the better part of the last two weeks, we're going back into session tomorrow, i'll have staff there off and on throughout the week. but everyone there has my cell phone number, they know to call me if they are asking questions they can't get answers to. trey: you know congressman, you raise a points, you represent the district, i thi

there is the surf club under the epa's authority, the epa notified norfolk southern they had potential liability for disastrous environmental issue like this. we have a long way to go. i am on my way back up there. through monday or longer. we are going to get questions answered that that community asks. blue on your the first congressman to appear on this program on the air while driving a car and you did a pretty good job. hope you can come again soon. republican senator jay d vance from ohio, should people -- just how polluted the water is near the site of that derailment. >> looking at coloration and that water, he says don't drink it. he wouldn't drink it, he dared the administrator of the epa to drink it. >> from the community that is expected. to tell people that tap water is safe, by all means. >> it is about trust. trust how you feel. if you feel sick don't drink it. if you see 3500 dead fish in a river, stay away. there are worries about cross-contamination. he is claiming, you saw the chemicals, the discoloration. how do you trust what the state and government tells you? stu

february 4, epa has been leading air quality testing and supporting ohio epa service desk surface and groundwater testing, the security board has also been on-site for over a week to lead the investigation into the cause of the derailment. the epa will continue to conduct 20 47 air quality monitoring throughout the east palatine -- east palestine community in the days to come. i know there has been questions about the water. epa will continue to support surface and groundwater sampling efforts to ensure that drinking water is safe and the epa is closely monitoring this and trying to do their best. to meet the needs of the community. >> at this point -- ms. jean-pierre: we are working hand in glove with the state of ohio and the emaciation has been in close touch. with local elected officials on the ground to make sure there concerns are being met. >> this might seem like a silly question. does debris exist? is that u.s. government confident there is debris from these objects or were they destroyed? ms. jean-pierre: from what i understand, the department of defense with no more submit

yet epa allowed imidacloprid on the u.s. market a year later. after decades of exposure, the conquences epscientists once warned about are now confirmed by the task force on systemic pesticides. >> and unfortunately, these chemicals are often, and i would say most of thtime, released before there is adequate information to show whether they arharmful inhe environment. i think neonicotinoids are a prime example of that. >> epa assesses risk posed by pesticides prior to their release on the market. safety studies are typically conducted and paid for by pesticide manufacturers on their own product. epa says its decisions are informed by the best science available. in addition to studies by manufacturers, epa scientists review pesticide studies from peer-reviewed scientific journals and data from a wide variety of sources when they are available. but studies on pesticide safety that come out after a pesticide is on the market may not be evaluated by epa until a pesticide cos up for review, a process that can te as lo as 15 yrs. farmers like drew sta

it isn't that we don't, you know, trust the epa or whatever. it is that we have families and have to drink bottled water and stay indoors. the dog seems legislature are i can. you worry about your children. this is something that's very critical. there are 1700 train derailments every single year in the united states of america. we rely on rail. 15% of those derailments are broken rail. it seems to me with this 1.9 trillion infrastructure bill the biggest priority should be getting the nation's railroads back in shape where we know when there is toxic cargo on board these trains and we can do something to keep everything safe. >> dana: good point. also could use more pipeline. >> absolutely. >> dana: see you on "the five." more coming up with michael reagan. he will be here with us and hear from him at the top of the hour. >> john: see if he has answers as to whether or not it is safe or not. chemical scare in the south. busy freeway closed in arizona this morning after a nitric acid spill last night. it happened after a truck carrying the chem

i called the epa, the norfolk southern and demanded answers. we very quickly realized that no one had been given a heads-up that it was coming here. there are issues related to the injection well, specifically that it was five trucks of the liquid that were headed for the injection well. the epa told us last night that they were suspending and i doubt very much that any more of the liquid will go there. >> as a member of congress, are you customarily informed about the types of contaminants that go to either one of the two hazardous waste sites you just cited that are in your district? >> unfortunately, here's a fact of my life. one of these sites have been in my district over the years. this injection well site, i can remember being at very loud town hall meetings about it 20 years ago. since i got elected, i had a relationship with u.s. ecology that when they were transporting material, because communities would be concerned, that they would normally give us a heads-up. when i learned of this yesterday, i called the governor's office assuming

. >> we'll have them pay for the work without having to reimburse the epa. if they don't, we'll step in and do the work and charge them triple the amount. we want to incentivize them to do the work because that's what this community deserves. >> triple the amount? >> triple the amount. >> a similar message from mike dewine. you can hear the train going back in the background in east palestine. >> they need to pay for everything. they need to pay for people's medical bills, any kind of cost that is incurred. look, they have fought safety regulations in the past. >> the governor also wants to see congress step up and do more as well. cleanup efforts continue in this small town. more than two weeks after the massive train derailment, a wide range of emotions. some residents say they're still sick. some want to press on. the local youth basketball coach said if kids can be back in school, why can't they play sports? a new medical assessment clinic was here. i spoke to a resident. he said he wasn't satisfy. he didn't get to see a doctor. >> not at all. it was a s

then he had the federal epa saying we cannot send people out there until it is safe. maria: very different disappointing. maria: norfolk southern has come up with the fund to send money to the affected community. the stock is troubled 11% or more since february 3 when this first happened. let me switch gears and ask about the journal reported chinese president xi jinping he will visit russia with the summit of vladimir putin. mike gallagher wrote an op-ed in the journal saying when we think about how to deter the chinese communist party it's useful to think about how you deal with a bully by getting your friends together and standing up. what should the u.s. be doing now to stand up to china? the communist party has been probably kidding now aggressively on joe biden's watch from covid-19 cover-up to the spy balloon. >> xi jinping as a total different leader for china than they've had for a while. for a long time china was moving to closer relationship with the world and the united states as well. they were doing it with trade and it was not a system that was benefiti

the epa did go. if anyone needs to be responsible, it is the rail line that sent the trains out there and caused the disruption of the trains. host: david in madison heights, michigan. good morning. caller: thank you, c-span for taking my call. i can't believe you wouldn't cover our president's visit to ukraine and poland. but you cover trump disrupting ohio. it is a failed to governor. it is a failed republican. that is the problem. you guys are so right. it's pathetic. thank you very much. host: from ohio, it's patrick. lady lake, florida. i am sorry. caller: i googled how many trains or ailments from 1990 to 2020, there were 56,000, but 1700 three omits a year. you didn't mention that. that is kind of pathetic. host: patrick? caller: all of these pro-lifers that are worried about children safety don't seem to care how many chemicals there are in the food, the water. i've called four times about wall street journal articles on pesticides causing autism. everyone and their brothers is suing round up

the epa saying they're looking at more sites, not just in ohio but around the country. we asked them what about the areas this has already been sent to. what about michigan and texas? they're saying they won't accept more at this time but stressed those were epa-vetted sites. still, officials have concerns. take a listen to what the mayor of east liverpool had to say. >> you can see it from my back yard, and it's literally in some people's back yard. it's definitely a concern. >> not knowing that they're come, which way they're coming, how safe the trucks are that are coming is something that has got us all very, very irritated. >> reporter: that was warren evans, the county executive there in michigan where some of this material was going to. mind you, the ohio epa saying at the derailment site they'll be installing water wells to do further ground testing to see if there's any groundwater contamination. mind you this comes after officials have said repeatedly there is no threat to the public given the testing they've done to the water, air and soil. residents have bee

the epa will have final approval of all disposal plants. this comes as many residents in the area are reporting headaches, nausea and respiratory issues after the train ran off the rails earlier this month. good afternoon, mike. mike: good afternoon, mike, it looks like a communication breakdown has halted the clean-up of contaminated material here from east palestine. much of the contaminated dirt and water were being move today hazardous material handling facilities in wayne county michigan as well as harris county texas but officials on the receiving end said -- say that no one told them that the hazardous material was coming to their state. 15 truckloads or 210 tons of contaminated dirt have arrived in michigan. wayne county executive is not pleased. >> i don't know how you do that without contacting the local officials so that we can number 1, know how to respond to our communities and number 2, give at -- advice in terms of routes that you may take and those sorts of things. >> 5 truckloads or 70 tons contaminated have been returned t

well, i'm glad the epa administrator regan will visit the site today. unacceptable it took nearly two weeks for a senior administration official to show up. to you, what took so long? >> i have to say i'm thankful for the emergency responders including my epa staff that were on the ground hours after the train derailment and have been there since. i think we have to be responsible here and understand when you bring in a senior official at the cabinet level you divert a pull away resources from the emergency response, from the state police and the like. so we wanted to be sure that the emergency responders had all their resources and focus to do what they've done. thankfully no loss of life. no injury and that is because emergency responders and local officials were able to focus on the job and not visitations. yesterday was a great day for me to visit the derailment site. i spent time at a local creek. i spent time in a home, a community member's home. so we've been there since day one, i want to stress. we've been there since day one. >> bill: that may

epa will ensure always disposed of in safe and lawful manner, epa facilities to prevent further release of hazardous substances and impacts to communities. i've been able to visit east palestine will double times since the derailment. i've had a chance to meet with mayor conaway and to talk to other residents. one thing that smith made clear to me is everyone wants this contamination gone from this community. they don't want the worry and they don't want the smell. we owe it to the people of east palestine to move it out of the community as quickly as pos possible. at epa we have decades of experience dealing with hazardous waste both from cleaning up contaminated sites to regulating landfills where it's disposed of. we know it's far better to have it safely stored . arthel: we've been listening to epa administrator deborah sure addressing waste disposal which is very concerning there were reports earlier that some of the waste would be transported from their east palace scene two areas like texas kamala harris county which incorporates houston, the most populated county in texas. harri

, and state epa led by the state epa director ann vogel. they have worked hand in hand. i do believe the tests they're running in the air quality, the water quality are valid. i trust the science. the city's water, municipal water has been tested many, many, times and will continue to be tested. it says that it is safe to drink. the air quality, they have been running air quality tests nearly around the clock and monitoring those. and the air quality is also fine. residents who have private wells are encouraged to get those wells tested before they drink that water and of all the well tests that have been done so far those also have come back saying that they're fine. resident can also get the air tested inside of their homes. so there is some positive movement but look, we're not going to take for granted and we're not going to be dismissive about i of the concerns the residents here have. they get to determine when this finish line is reached. they get to determine when they're satisfied and when they're not. neil: so, congressman, obviou

so here is what the epa has to say the epa gave us a statement saying the long-term risk by this analysis, carnegie mellon and texas a&m with exposure which is constant exposure over approximately 70 years, epa does not and they're saying we're trying to dissipate and help the levels to go down and so people aren't breathing the same for 70 years. but how long will they be breathing it in? these are all questions that no one has answers for which makes things more difficult for the people of east palestine. >> and the question is maybe not 70 years but even one year, two years. that's frightening for the residents there. elizabeth cohen, thank you. >>> right now, winter storms are hitting both sides of the country. more than 30 million americans are on alert across the u.s. hundreds of flights already cancelled today. as much as 8 inches of snow could blanket parts of the northeast. and new york city is seeing its first major -- asterisk -- of the season. >> was that major? >> which goes to say it's been a very warm season thus far. and this is what it looks like out west in california, a

the epa isn't pulling punches. they say, quote, let me be clear, norfolk southern will pay for cleaning up the mess they created and for the trauma they've inflicted on this community. my understanding is that this is a legally binding order. do we know anything more about it and how the government plans to measure compliance success here. >> we have a rough idea and this is really a federal response that is moving into a new phase. so it's going from the emergency portion to what they call the remediation phase and this is something where the epa and the administrator has said they had already gotten the commitment of norfolk southern to do the clean up, but now that's right. it goes into this more intense portion where there's a legally binding order and where the epa is going to say we will approve a plan of how you intend to clean up the soil and water and essentially if we don't like what you're doing, if we don't think you're doing it the right way or if you don't do it enough to meet the needs of the residen

among israelis and palestinians now there's word that an american citizen is among the dead >>> the epa allowing the removal of that toxic train waste to resume in ohio after other states said it was shipped to them without warning. where it will now be sent >>> the defense in the alex murdaugh trial resting its case and will the jury be allowed to visit the murder scene what the judge ruled today. >>> the dramatic bodycam. a home in new jersey exploding with firefighters inside. incredibly, all survived >>> and they're helping families become more close-knit and inspiring america. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt >>> good evening and thank you for joining us we start off tonight with yet another late winter punch of severe weather across the country as we begin this week including multiple tornadoes confirmed today in illinois at least a dozen reported from the plains to midwest since yesterday. but we are also watching snow moving east tonight, potentially bringing new york city its first significant snow of the season. right now there are winter alerts affect

they have since agreed to comply with epa order. i want to remind folks that at any point the company fails to comply with the actions ordered by epa, we will immediately step in, conduct the work that needs to be done and then force norfolk southern to pay triple. >> residents here, john, don't really care who gets the work done, they just want to see the action immediately either by the epa or norfolk southern. the administrator was back here at the disaster site, touring the site of the crash still covered by dangerous debris in ohio. nearly a month since norfolk southern freight rail derailed in east palestine. the train carrying hazardous material overturned spilling vinyl chloride and other toxic and possibly cancerous chemicals. if they don't comply, they say they will charge them triple. as the company works to clear the hazardous waste, the epa is going door to door to test the air quality in town. right now the agency is insisting the air quality here is normal. residents want the epa to test for dioxins, and it was a lot

epa or norfolk. and that's one thing that i've seen in every one of these community that's been critical. they don't need to be gaslit, if you will. and they walk away very uncertain. and i need them to stay together as a community and pay attention, and document and journal what's happening to them. because, andrea, there's not going to be an immediate overnight solution to this disaster. and they need to hear the full truth. and i watched the u.s. epa michael regan, drinking the water. and in that moment, that condition could have been safe. but that's not going to be how it's always going to be. we're going to have to deal with how all of these chemicals migrate through the water. where they hit the wells. so there's so much more to this to ensure not only in a moment, but for the future. these people, their water and their health are in fact not being jeopardized. >> and the epa has ongoing air and water testing and telling the community residents that it's safe. but as you point out, if it is ac

the epa administrator here on the ground emphasizing that the epa has been here since day one since this derailment using some of their high-tech to monitor things, using things like aerial surveillance, stationary monitoring. the epa administrator noting that they have been inside numerous homes here in this town, and they've so far surveilled somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 homes, but mind you, as you've already alluded to, a lot of residents here are finding very little comfort in that as they are starting to report that they are starting to feel sick. they are reporting getting headaches, feeling nausea, getting some burning sensation in the eyes. you add to that that they are noticing some things in their waterways. local creeks are showing up with thousands of dead fish. one of the other things that the administrator pointed out here is that he does want to sit down with a number of the residents here who have come back and hear some of their concerns. i want you to take a listen to when he told our ron allen. >> i also have to say to the folks of east palestine we see them. w

epa they can't get anything out of the epa. e the federal government came in u for a few days, took over their entire business, would not let them in, okay, but also wouldn't talk to themything and wouldn't give them a plan, wouldn't tell them anything.ev and that's exactly how it'eryboi going for everybody that's in this town . so they don't knowandone if thew will bto be abandoned by the federal government and they don't know whae wiped f t theirn is going to be wiped off the map. and it's really sad when you're talking to these people because they are terrified that this town , that they grew up in, that they've lived in for their entire lives is going to be completely demolishethd b. by people having to leave, people scared to even come back to th e town .s there's a myriad of people that do not believe the epa'sown is assessment that the town is okay to go back into. d so they just haven't bothered. and that is a really scaryvernme thing to think that the federalt government cannot be trusteds sa enough to be able to telln

. >> the epa stops the removal of all contaminated material from the toxic train derailment in ohio as the battle over how and where it should be moved. the outcry from neighboring states and how the white house is responding. >>> the war in ukraine in its second year marked by fierce fighting in the eastern front. heavy shelling across that area in the last 24 hours. cnn's alex marquardt with new developments live from dnipro. >>> kind of afraid we were going to have to evacuate if it gets any worse. >> it does get worse. the damage left behind by this line of powerful storms and where it's bringing the threat for severe storms to millions of people today. >>> we begin this hour in ohio where there is growing criticism about how the response to the east palestine derailment is being handled and now across the career there are concerns about how the toxic materials will be disposed of and where. >> yeah, that's coming after officials in texas and michigan expressed outrage because the east palestine ordered norfolk southern to stop all shipments of hazardous waste to other states as th

the epa is not leading this effort. i just wanted to be very clear on that and that is why the attacks that we are seeing on sec. buttigieg is really just in bad faith. >> a year ago before russia invaded ukraine, the ministration was very quick to present declassified intelligence. turns out they were right. this time around, the accusation has been made by the administration that china is actively considering providing lethal aid to russia, but this time around the administration is much more reluctant to provide that information. >> we've been very clear that we have not seen them do it yet, but they haven't taken it off the table. i totally understand. i'm not going to get ahead of the intelligence community. when we speak to these classified matters. i want to be very careful and very mindful. i think you are comparing two things that are very different. we were talking about russia invading ukraine, we believed at the time that it was important to share that evidence. it was important for the american people to se

i've talked to the federal epa and the ohio epa. they've assured me that they're following all the guidelines that are necessary, so, you know, i think everyone's concerned of what's happened in the past couple of weeks, but again, we're relying on the epa at this point to guide us in the right direction. >> i have to think that you must have some concerns that this is all going to be handled appropriately, given everything that your area has been through so far. i guess what will you be doing to make sure that everything is done and handled appropriately? >> yeah, i mean, again, just keep relying on the epa, have been in direct contact with them this weekend and, you know, i'm not an expert in this, in the least. i'm an accountant, a financial adviser, so i'm going to be talking to them. and you know, even in the beginning, you know, kind of dumb this down to me and explain it to me. so just to make sure that our residents are safe. >> and what's it been like in that area for your town over these last several weeks? i mean, i have

people are really nervous at the epa for they do not believe the epa, even rosie o'donnell is weighing in sync she does not trust anything going on, watch this. >> the epa comes out with a very non- alarmist, everything is okay don't worry about a thing. and it is infuriating. i do not trust the epa. i do not trust them. after 9/11 i don't how anyone could pray there is no cleanup, there is dust everywhere, toxic, horrible cancer-causing. and they lied to the american people. i don't believe the epa. >> congressman fallon your final word pre- >> liz, when i look up this morning i didn't think it say the following words, i agree with rosie o'donnell. [laughter] fix congressman mast your final word? >> joe biden don't just show up for the press shows up show up where america needs you. elizabeth: congressman cummins and one thanks joining us it's good to see you both. let's welcome back to wall street author carol roth. carol you were listening to our conversation. what is your reaction to everything going on? >> i kinda feel the same couldn't believe i agreed with rosie o'donnell. that

and i've been in touch with the mayor and the ohio and federal epa. the fire chief, the county commissioners, the health officials and the governor's office and even the epa administrator. i've been covering the waterfront on this so to speak and i can tell you that they're making progress and i do believe that, you know, that the epa, both the federal and the state have made a valid case that the water is clean. this community has a city water system that is routinely tested anyway. it does not get its water force from that creek that you're showing where the chemicals now reside. it has been tested, it's going to continue to be tested and that's not going to stop until these residents are satisfied that that testing is-- meets their standard. it's not my standard that it has to meet, it's the residents' standard and those who have private wells. that's the real question. what happens with those that are private well water? i met a gentleman in a diner today he said what about my mine? i've been calling for days trying to get somebody to test my wate

epa must approve. in other words a plan that will lay out exactly how they will go about this remember we have mike dewine, the governor of ohio, what he makes of this tentative plan to make sure norfolk southern does all of this and what he separately is demanding of them. on this, after this. ♪. s. by working with you on a retirement-income plan designed to balance growth and guaranteed income. because doors were meant to be opened. for businesses of all sizes, there are a lot of choices when it comes to your internet and technology needs. when you choose comcast business internet, you choose the largest, fastest reliable network. .. that's always improving, getting faster; more reliable; and more intelligent to keep you ready for today and tomorrow. the choice is clear: make your business future ready with the network from the most innovative company. comcast business. powering possibilities™. >> woman: why did we choose safelite? >> vo: for us, driving around is the only way we can get our baby

he finished up at a local business before opening an epa welcome center here. just the commitment to this community to make sure their presence is here. back to the derailment. some of the concern is how some of this material is being distributed across state lines. officials across state lines really concerned some of this material is m coing to their facilities. mind you, these are epa approved and they've been inspected and are able to handle this material, but nonetheless, it is controversial. we had a one-on-one with the epa administrator. i pressed him on some of these concerns. take a listen to what he told me. how are you vetting these locations where the waste and soil has gone? >> we have vetted and will continue to vet facilities because there's a lot of material. water and soil. that would need to leave this site. we want it to leave this site in the safest way possible. extreme rigor based on our regulations, and delivered to site that are prepared to receive them and those communities not be adversely impacted. >> reporter: again that norfolk sout

waiting the epa, three events, epa update on the ground in ohio, president on the unidentified objects, those shot down top of the hour. you go to this story now, the document story and sort of taking a back burner to what's going on, especially since the unidentified objects. but the messaging from this white house, just take the documents scandal, for instance, and how many times karine jean-pierre had to walk back things she told the american public that ended up to not be the case. so, what exactly is going on here with the messaging from the white house? >> she has a really, really hard job. i was listening in. if your job is to convince the american people that joe biden is serious about the deficit, you have a really, really hard job. i mean, you could have clarence darrow and f. lee bailey and they could not convince the jury of that. the media does not press as if it were a "republican" scandal. i have trump, pence and biden, people don't see a clear lane of victory because it may be my guy that's next in the news. they just searched mike pence's house. so, look, i don't care

what do you think since the visit by the epa, what they will do? >> we had a number of people who visited yesterday. senator brown was there, senator vance was there, other people were there. look, here is where we are. we continue to monitor the air, the air is good. we've gone into hundreds and hundreds of people's houses to test the air. it's good. >> brian: who is testing it? can you tell me who is testing the air? >> yeah, the testing we're doing, there is dual testing going on every single time, the railroad has people testing. most important thing for the public is ohio epa is testing the air. we have monitoring all over the village. the water, we have tested, comes back good. we are telling people, if you're on the city water, the village water, you certainly can drink that. we are testing anybody with a private well, we are going out and testing that. i understand people's concerns, they have been through a very traumatic, horrible, horrible experience. so we really get it. we've reached out to hhs and federal government, they are going to

and i learned that the epa can only do so much because this company is a juggernaut and they'll just pay the fines. >> dana: debbie, how about what you've experienced over the last few days? i don't know if you were able to hear what that report included but many residents said they personally have experienced either symptoms of a headache or even children having rashes. anything that you have experienced personally or know of with your family? >> yes. actually my granddaughter, she had to go to the emergency room. she had sore throat, eyes were burning. respiratory issues. we have a duplex that we have rented out right in front of the railroad tracks and i was down there taking some samples and within probably ten minutes, my throat felt like it had sand in it. i had a sore throat for several days after that. my husband has a lot of issues with headaches going on right now. so it is really affected. you hear a lot about it in town. i think it's affected a lot of people. but nobody is really listening. they are saying it's safe. and we just don't feel it is. >> bill: we have heard a

february 4 hours after the derailment the epa team was on the ground. i want to make sure the american people understand we did take action and folks were on the ground. so, it is like multiple federal agencies, again, on the ground, not just to epa within hours. it is important to remember it was a serious accident. when these incidents happen you need to let emergency response take place. that is important. senior leadership arriving in those initial days from those urgent response efforts. when it was appropriate the epa administrator yesterday and additional agency officials, hhs, the cdc, will be visiting soon. the work is happening and we have been on the ground since february 4. hours after the derailment happened. we are committed, committed. the federal government is committed to making sure that the community gets what it needs. and will be there on the ground as long as it takes. >> you mentioned talking about the president. the president talked so much recently about the u.s. securing assistance to ukraine. last year in poland he met with re

the epa administrator will be on the ground again shortly. on our side in the department of transportation we are focusing on lessons learned when it comes to rail safety. the reality is the freight rail industry wielded a lot of power in washington. this is a moment i believe we can raise the bar in terms of what we expect and what we require from freight railroads so that fewer communities have to go through when the people of east palestine are dealing with right now. >> let's follow up on that. you said water, oil and material that needs to be disposed of. nearly 5,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil, close to 2 million gallons of liquid waste removed from the site bound for epa certified owe locations in ohio, one in indiana, as a matter of fact. speaking of the shipping process, the safety of the royal roads, what can you tell us about this process and is this shipping process save, mr. secretary? >> epa sees to making sure that all of this is held to an extremely rigorous standard. those certifications are not something they just give

i'm going to talk with epa administrator michael regan about this in a moment. talk to us about what more we're learning about this, how the cleanup is going, what is happening inside this community? >> the cleanup is going -- it's one of the many things residents are concerned about. a lot of soil is being removed from the tracks area. the cars have been removed from the tracks, but it's a big mess, frankly. a lot of concerns the residents have. they'll be able to talk to town officials for the first time tonight at a town hall meeting. through it all, ohio officials continue to maintain that the environment is safe. >> reporter: it's been 12 days since the fiery derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals through east palestine, ohio, and the planned burn to prevent a potentially catastrophic explosion. residents worry about what's still in the air, soil, and water in their rural community. >> something's going on if the fish are floating in the crick. >> reporter: ohio officials confirming 3,500 fish died in local waters in the days after the derailmen

the head of the epa visits the site of the ohio chemical train derailment as residents worry about their health. hear what he had to say about the rail operator. >>> severe weather system. tornadoes cause damage in the south as snow impacts travel in the north. see where the storm moves next. >>> aerial objects. president biden gave his most detailed comments yet on the flying objects shot down last weekend. what he says officials believe thad oe ept a were.anie. fian of ightrain derailment in ohio. michael regan tried to reassure frustrated residents that the air and water around east palestine are safe. some people have complained of headaches, respiratory issues, and other symptoms. roxana saberi is there. >> reporter: east palestine resident melissa blake says two days after the toxic train derailment doctors diagnosed her with acute bronchitis from chemical fumes. >> hard to breathe. my chest is always tight. the coughing. >> reporter: what kind of help do you and your neighbors need? >> actually it's just the truth. >> we all know -- >> reporter: at a town hall, residents demanded

guest: the ohio epa, which had the first responsibility to respond on behalf of the state of ohio, was aided and abetted when the governor called in the federal epa to build the sampling systems and networks. we not only want to protect the people who might be exposed, but we have to ensure that we protect those first responders so they are not putting themselves in harm's way as they seek to protect the other innocent victims in this incident. host: gerry poje is a founding member of the chemical safety board. he has his phd in biology and environmental health sciences from nyu, and as part of that was on scene at a number of investigations into explosions and fires and chemical spills like this. as an investigator, as someone who would show up on the scene of an event like this, what are some of the first things you would look at? guest: the first thing i would be concerned about is not my job as an investigator. it is to ensure that the environmental safety response is being effectuated for benefit for the people who are closest to the disaster. secondarily, but i don't think on imp

>> epa sees to making sure that all of this is held to an extremely rigorous standard. those certifications are not something they just give out. and they work with parties that are very experienced in dealing exactly do these types of materials. certainly not something that is taken lightly. i know this is getting direct attention from the highest levels of epa because it is a concern in the community and people have questions about where this material is going, how it's being disposed of. it's being handled by organizations experienced in dealing with exactly this kind of material. >> the timeline here, the waste removal was paused over the weekend following complaints from texas and michigan officials who said they didn't know the waste would come to their jurisdictions. why didn't they know what was coming their way? >> i don't know all the details of the environmental cleanup process. what i know is that there are ways that are set up for states to communicate with each other about this. and there is often a private sector role as contractors who have that extremel

we know the epa did not do the best they could to protect residents in flint. yeah, if i was a resident of east palestine, i would have real questions as to how effectively the epa was protecting the at this point. amy: talk about what norfolk southern faces. years ago, the crash in north carolina, i believe something like nine people died, many were injured. ultimately paid something like $4 million for fines? talk about what they face and lawsuits that are beginning right now and what they could be forced -- what did they promise, $1 million to the town right now? >> yeah. right now they said they already distributed over a million dollars to the town. they are facing class-action lawsuits. unfortunately, what we know is the department of transportation fines and federal railroad administration fines are limited. i think what alan shaw, the ceo of norfolk southern, i think he sees his core constituency as not the public but his shareholders. unfortunately, the way our society works is that it is just about the next quarterly earnings report, how much money yo

that is the head of the epa to grady's point here. we have not seen anymore folk southern representatives in person in the town at in point. they have been offering checks, relatively meager checks to residents who will accept them. the read from ohio's attorney general. general, nice to have you and thank you for your time. first your reaction norfolk southern not being at this town event last night. do you think it should have been? >> absolutely. this company has resources if they're worried about security, let them bring security. to thumb their noses at people of this tiny town after what's happened was tone deaf at best. neil: there had been talk that you were looking at legal options here in regard to norfolk southern. can you update us what you're planning, what you're considering? >> there are of course a lot of federal preemption issues here. i've got a team of lawyers examining what the state's options would be in court. we also sent a letter, what is called a litigation hold letter, to norfolk & southern letting them know

regarding the epa, they are there. they say it's safe. i understand the concerns to have people on the ground there. it sunt seem like we even know which chemicals have been released. how does the epa know what the long-term impact will be on the citizens of east palestine? >> should the president go there and make support for the community now? >> i mean, i think it will be nice if the president went there. the president goes to other natural disasters. this is getting a lot of attention. this has a lot of concern across america. ic it would be a good message. jacqui: i want to bring up a tweet from the transportation secretary blaming trump for this it seems. he tweets secretary pete buttigieg, we are constrained by law like derailed by trump in 2018 by law passed in 2015 but we are using the powers we have to keep people safe. is it helpful to blame the prior administration, is it fair to do that, where do you see -- how do you read that tweet? >> well, give pete buttigieg credit for one thing, elevated to transportation secretary to m

of the five, he called epa administrator and governor mike dewine. where is the urgency before? why now and why from warsaw on the day he is supposed to be flying back? >> joe: there is political urgency when you have the former president and donald trump going there today, suddenly that got the president's attention. woody allen once said that 90% of success is showing up, right? given there is a toxic train derailment, february 3, nearly three weeks ago, in east palestine and four different cancer-causing chemicals were released into the air and water. to this day, residencent didses are complaining of nausea, headaches, respiratory issues, businesses are suffering. the fact it took the president and now u.s. transportation secretary 10 days to acknowledge it happened and now coming up on three weeks and he won't say when he's going, it begs the question, should pete buttigieg still be running this department and should he have been nominated by president biden in the first place given he has so little experience in running a huge agency like this. all we heard from pete butti