FILE - A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, Feb. 6, 2023. West Virginia's water utility says it's taking precautionary steps following the derailment of a train hauling chemicals that later sent up a toxic plume in Ohio. The utility said in a statement on Sunday, Feb.
A spokesperson for Norfolk Southern did not immediately respond to a request from Yahoo News for comment on the accusations made by Shapiro. DeWine said that on a conference call two days after the initial derailment, concerns were raised about one of the derailed cars whose temperature was described as “very volatile” and rising. “The fear was that this car might explode, sending deadly shrapnel in all directions,” DeWine said.
However, the letter from Shapiro, which was made public shortly after DeWine’s press conference, casts doubt on the information that led to that decision. For example, Shapiro accused Norfolk Southern of failing to “immediately inform authorities as to the number of rail cars that contained dangerous chemicals,” noting that chemicals were ultimately released and burned from more than just one train car.
Throughout his political career, Shapiro has relished public fights, serving two terms as the state attorney general before winning the governor's race in November. Part of his gubernatorial campaign was pushing some of the victories he achieved as the state's top law enforcement officer, including an investigation of the Catholic church for abuse and earning a 10-figure settlementSome in the area have questioned whether it was elected officials leading the response or Norfolk Southern.