After Train Crash ‘Nuked’ Ohio Town With Toxic Chemicals, Buttigieg Focuses on Bigger Threat: White Construction Workers

In one of his first public appearances since a massive train derailment released poisonous chemicals in eastern Ohio, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg avoided discussing the disaster—instead criticizing construction workers for being too white.

“We have heard way too many stories from generations past of infrastructure where you got a neighborhood, often a neighborhood of color, that finally sees the project come to them, but everyone in the hard hats on that project, doing the good paying jobs, don’t look like they came from anywhere near the neighborhood,” Monday was the National Association of Counties Conference.

Transportation secretary did not mention the February 3rd derailment of a Norfolk Southern train at East Palestine, Ohio. This has forced authorities into releasing toxic chemicals like phosgene or vinyl chloride to prevent an explosion and make the tracks operational.

“We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” Sil Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist, Telled A local news outlet.

Buttigieg has been mum on the incident—the transportation secretary’s Twitter and press releases have omitted any mention of the crash—even as reports have emerged that animals and fish are Dying Nearby chemical releases. The potential effects on the human population are unknown. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, anyone who is experiencing symptoms should consult a doctor.

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, a Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, stated that it was safe for residents to return home because water and air testing were acceptable.

Caggiano claimed he was surprised by how fast authorities advised people that they could return home.

“There’s a lot of what ifs, and we’re going to be looking at this thing 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the line and wondering, ‘Gee, cancer clusters could pop up, you know, well water could go bad,” Caggiano said.

The Department of Transportation didn’t respond to our request for comment.