Almost a year has passed since the devastating train derailment and subsequent toxic explosion in East Palestine, Ohio.
The community, which has felt neglected and overlooked by President Biden's administration and the Democratic Party since the catastrophic event, is now bracing for a visit from the President.
On Saturday, Ben Bergquam, a reporter for Real America's Voice, journeyed to East Palestine to engage with the local community ahead of President Biden's anticipated visit. Among those he spoke with was Dr. Rick Tsai, a local physician who has become a whistleblower for the beleaguered residents of East Palestine.
Dr. Tsai, who is also a congressional candidate for Ohio's 6th district, has been treating many of the patients affected by the disaster. When asked by Bergquam about the community's experience over the past year, Dr. Tsai painted a grim picture.
"The whole town is fractured, both mentally and some physically," Dr. Tsai revealed. He has been documenting the condition of the local creeks for over a year, and his findings are alarming. "Just this weekend, I took media down and right in that area there, I dug dry dirt from the bank, chopped it up, threw it in the creek, and chemicals come right out of the dirt."
Despite his findings, Dr. Tsai claims that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has failed to identify any evidence of chemical contamination. This discrepancy, he says, is one of the reasons he has decided to run for Congress. "Im going against two established politicians embedded like Alabama ticks, and Im going to pry them out and Im going to win this vote for me, Rick Chai," he declared.
When asked about the health issues he has observed in his patients, Dr. Tsai listed rashes, headaches, welts, diarrhea, and gastric problems as common symptoms. He also noted that he was the only doctor he knew of who consistently tested people's blood against the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). His tests revealed a high ratio of people with benzene and vinyl chloride metabolites in their blood, which the EPA dismissed as possibly being due to exposure to gasoline.
Dr. Tsai's account of the situation in East Palestine paints a stark picture of a community still grappling with the aftermath of a disaster, feeling abandoned by the government, and desperate for justice. His story, as reported by Bergquam, provides a glimpse into the struggles of a forgotten community on the eve of a presidential visit.
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