COLUMBUS – Governor Mike DeWine on Monday requested that President Joe Biden declare the February derailment of a Norfolk Southern train and release of hazardous chemicals in eastern Ohio a major disaster.
DeWine requested the major presidential disaster declaration in a letter to Biden on the date set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the deadline for making the request after DeWine asked for an extension.
“The possibility remains that the voluntary support provided by Norfolk Southern could at some point in the future cease, and this Declaration is needed to ensure that the State and Federal government use all resources available to step in and provide the community with needed assistance,” DeWine wrote in the letter to Biden.
FEMA has repeatedly said the federal assistance would likely not be granted because the state’s needs were being met, but DeWine argued that, while the railroad company has so far reimbursed citizens and state and local governments for costs associated with damage suffered due to the derailment, federal aid would be needed if the voluntary assistance from the railroad ceases.
Officials are also concerned about costs that might develop but have yet to be identified, DeWine said.
“In addition to the physical and mental health impacts, there have been economic impacts. Homeowners and business have seen property value decline and loss of business as people are hesitant to come into the community,” he wrote.
The derailment prompted officials to burn hazardous cargo before it exploded, resulting in a cloud of noxious smoke that forced half of the town’s residents from their homes.