While numerous environmental disasters play out across the United States, President Biden announced his visit Ukraine on Presidents Day.
Amid the chaos in Ohio, federal agencies are nowhere to be found. For example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is overseen by the executive branch of the federal government, refused aid to Ohio following a devastating train derailment.
The White House has had its hands full answering questions from press in recent weeks. After the government showed reluctance to shoot down a known Chinese surveillance balloon due to “safety concerns,” the public was shocked to hear reports that three mysterious objects were immediately shot down over the states in the following days.
The Chinese spy balloon first made its way through the entire United States, beginning in Alaska and traveling all the way to South Carolina. The U.S. knew where and what it was as early as January 28th, but didn’t shoot it down until February 4th.
The unidentified objects were shot down over Alaska, Canada and Michigan. The government provided no response as to what these objects were, which caused everyone to be on high alert the following days.
The ambiguity and lack of transparency has caused many people to believe that the numerous reports of unidentified objects were a diversion from the ecological disaster playing out in Ohio.
While the nation was distracted by the potential threats invading our airspace, the Norfolk Southern freight train transporting toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on Friday, February 3rd. Throughout the following week, livestock and pets died, dead fish were found floating down rivers, and people were complaining of headaches, nausea, and illness. Authorities even arrested a news reporter while he was trying to cover a press conference regarding the derailment and the decision to burn off hazardous chemicals.
There is currently an ecological disaster in Ohio, and FEMA has denied services to local residents so that the federal government can focus on anything but its own citizens.
Vinyl chloride and phosgene were some of the main chemicals being burned off following the crash, which are associated with increased risks of cancer. The coverup attempt and refusal to send federal aid has lead to national outrage, especially after local authorities told residents it was safe to return to East Palestine just five days after the disaster.
The Wisconsin Department of Health notes that, “Exposure to vinyl chloride can affect a person’s liver, kidney, lung, spleen, nervous system and blood.” Phosgene side effects include nausea, vomiting, lesions on the skin, difficulty breathing and potential heart failure, per the CDC.
Despite the concerning side effects, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local government officials continue to assure the people in East Palestine that the air and water supply are safe. People on the ground have reported that Norfolk Southern, the railroad company responsible for this derailment, has attempted to silence residents of east Palestine with $1,000 payouts. This feeble attempt did not do much to save the company however, in fact, Norfolk was just ordered by the EPA to “Identify and clean up contaminated soil and water resources.”
As the country focused on Ohio’s cleanup efforts, a semi-truck carrying nitric acid overturned in Arizona, leading to the evacuation of anyone within a half-mile radius of the leak. After this incident, a chemical tank caught on fire in Oklahoma, and then a 5-acre warehouse combusted in Kissimmee, Florida. The EPA has deemed the air “unhealthy” for residents of Doral, FL where a trash incinerator has been on fire for five days in a row. Today, another explosion in Ohio severely burned at least 12 people.
In addition to the aforementioned disasters, three more train derailments occurred in Houston, Detroit and South Carolina.
Many people are pointing to the older generation of Americans retiring from their jobs and the next generation of unqualified Americans taking over as an explanation for the collapse, with others pointing to potential sabotage by Russia or China.
Either way, in less than a month the U.S. has experienced unidentified objects flying through our airspace, multiple hazardous chemical fires and spills, toxins being released into our air and water supply — leading many to ask, who is in charge? Why is nothing being done about this? Why did the President choose to visit a nation across the world, rather than the states and communities suffering here at home?
