Following the controlled burn of five tankers carrying 115,000 gallons of vinyl chloride over East Palestine, Ohio, residents reported widespread illness and pleaded for help. Though Biden dispatched FEMA executive Jim McPherson to assess the situation seven months later, newly released documents reveal federal officials had been discussing serious health risks far earlier and at the highest levels.
Obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the Government Accountability Project, the documents show FEMA, the White House, the EPA, the DOJ, and the National Security Council were coordinating closely behind the scenes, raising alarms about toxic exposure, health care needs, and the potential for cancer clusters. Internally, one FEMA note acknowledged that “the occurrence of a cancer-cluster in [East Palestine] is not zero” and referenced the need for systems to detect them.
Despite these internal concerns, the public message from federal agencies dismissed such risks. Lesley Pacey, the investigator who sued to obtain the documents, said health care was identified as the number one concern early on, and that the potential for long-term illness was known yet never disclosed publicly. According to Pacey, the White House debated whether to release FEMA’s “Unmet Needs Report,” which ultimately was never made public.
Residents say FEMA’s presence in the community was minimal. Christa Graves told NewsNation that emails and calls to McPherson went unanswered. “Eventually, there was something said that he didn’t need our anecdotal reports,” she said. Internal communications revealed FEMA had instructed McPherson not to engage directly with residents.
Outraged by the apparent disconnect between internal warnings and public reassurances, many in East Palestine are calling it a case of government negligence. A DHS spokesperson, speaking to NewsNation, sharply criticized FEMA’s handling under the Biden administration and vowed that such mismanagement “will never happen again under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem.”
