As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. R. No. 147

2025-2026

Representative Robb Blasdel

A R E S O L U T I O N

To urge Congress to establish a special committee to investigate the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and the federal Environmental Protection Agency's response to it.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

WHEREAS, On February 3, 2023, a freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, while carrying hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethyl-hexyl acrylate, butyl acrylates, benzene residue, and isobutylene. In response, officials evacuated a one-mile radius around the derailment location and then extended it to two miles a few days later; and

WHEREAS, The force of the crash caused several rail cars to catch fire and others to spill their toxic loads onto the soil, causing hazardous substances to travel into local waterways; and

WHEREAS, Emergency crews were forced to conduct controlled burns of five vinyl chloride tank rail cars to limit potential explosions. But as a result of the controlled burning, plumes of black smoke containing hazardous chemicals were released into the air; and

WHEREAS, In September 2023, President Biden issued Executive Order 14108, "ensuring the people of East Palestine are protected now and in the future." This Executive Order also states, in pertinent part, that "available data show that no contaminants of concern have been detected at levels of concern in the air in the affected communities at sustained levels since the evacuation order was lifted"; and

WHEREAS, The Executive Order also directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to "oversee long-term recovery efforts in the affected communities and conduct a comprehensive assessment of unmet needs of the affected communities in recovering from the derailment beyond the cleanup work directed by EPA"; and

WHEREAS, Newly-obtained documents acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request show that officials from FEMA voiced concerns that the chemical spill and the plume of smoke set off by the controlled burn could cause "cancer clusters"; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the House of Representatives of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge Congress to establish a special committee to investigate the East Palestine train derailment and the United States Environmental Protection Agency's response to it; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the House of Representatives of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge Congress to appoint members of the Ohio Congressional delegation to the special committee; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, each member of Congress, and the news media of Ohio.