Ohio residents erupt at town hall: 'Where's Pete Buttigieg?'

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Ohio residents erupt at town hall: 'Where's Pete Buttigieg?'

Angry East Palestine, Ohio, residents gathered for a town hall Wednesday, with one attendee asking the mayor, "Where's Pete Buttigieg?" (WOIO)

Voicing their concerns at a town hall on Wednesday night, Ohio residents impacted by this month's toxic train derailment asked where Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was.

"Where's Pete Buttigieg? Where's he at?" one man asked Mayor Trent Conaway.

"I don't know. Your guess is as good as me," the mayor replied. 

He told attendees that Tuesday was the first time he had "heard anything from the White House."

OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT: OFFICIALS INSIST EAST PALESTINE IS SAFE BUT RESIDENTS AREN'T BUYING IT

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan is on the ground in East Palestine on Thursday to discuss the agency's efforts leading on the environmental response, a spokesperson for the Transportation Department told Fox News Digital in an email.

"Within hours of the derailment, DOT staff were on the ground to support NTSB’s investigation into the cause of the derailment — and we continue to support this effort," the DOT spokesperson added. "Secretary Buttigieg has spoken with both [Ohio] Governor DeWine and [Pennsylvania] Governor Shapiro about DOT’s specific role in supporting the NTSB investigation. When the investigation is finished, Secretary Buttigieg asked about joining the governors in East Palestine to collaborate on steps to improve rail safety and hold Norfolk Southern accountable."

The department had previously noted in an email that the National Transportation Safety Board is the lead investigator in the incident and that the Transportation Department is in a supporting role. It added that the Federal Railroad Administration and Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration were on the ground within hours of the derailment.

Buttigieg recently retweeted a video of Regan saying rail operator Norfolk Southern would be held accountable for its role in the incident.

A man raises his hand with a question for East Palestine, Ohio, Mayor Trent Conaway, center, during a town hall meeting at East Palestine High School in East Palestine, Ohio, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

In a Wednesday letter to Buttigieg, Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and J.D. Vance of Ohio wrote to request information from his department regarding oversight of the freight train system and other concerns. The senators gave the secretary 30 days to respond. 

Buttigieg had tweeted on Tuesday that the department was "constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation (like the braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015), but we are using the powers we do have to keep people safe."

On Wednesday night, responding to tweets from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Buttigieg said he was "glad to see newfound bipartisan agreement" over the issue. 

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows an overview of the aftermath of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. About 50 cars derailed in a fiery, mangled mess on the outskirts of East Palestine on Feb. 3, 2023. (Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies via AP)

OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT: EAST PALESTINE MAYOR AGRESS TO Q&A SESSION AFTER OUTBURST FROM FRUSTRATED RESIDENT

"We could start by discussing immediate steps Congress could take to address rail safety & reduce constraints on USDOT in this area," he suggested, asking Cruz to call the department. 

Becky Rance talks with a police officer as she hands out water from the back of her truck in downtown East Palestine, Ohio, as the cleanup of portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed on Feb. 3 continues Wednesday.  (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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While officials have said testing has so far shown that local air is safe to breathe following the Feb. 3 train derailment and controlled release and burn of vinyl chloride, the community continued to worry about safety. Water testing is ongoing, but the state's EPA said five wells that supply the village's drinking water are free from contaminants. 

Norfolk Southern did not attend the meeting, citing safety concerns for its staff. 

This report has been updated to include an additional comment from the Department of Transportation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.