Vance and Zeldin request EPA inspector general probe of East Palestine train derailment response
Vice President JD Vance and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin have requested that the EPA inspector general launch an independent probe into the federal response to the 2023 East Palestine train derailment. The request follows revelations that subcontractor analysts falsified groundwater data and that federal models projected severe toxic exposure risks for up to 18,000 residents. Vance has accused the Biden administration of withholding critical public health information from the community.
East Palestine derailment investigation
▪The requested EPA Inspector General review seeks to examine the response's effects on human health, environmental protection measures, public information transparency, and the necessity of long-term monitoring in East Palestine.
▪Vice President JD Vance and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin sent a letter on August 27, 2026, requesting that acting EPA Inspector General Nicole Murley open an independent review of the federal and private response to the February 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
▪The letter from JD Vance and Lee Zeldin states that any identified shortcomings from the review could lead the EPA to implement corrective actions, including changes to emergency response procedures, environmental monitoring, or interagency coordination.
Toxic chemical exposure risks
▪Industrial hygienist Stephen Petty, an expert retained by class-action attorneys, found cancer-causing dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in East Palestine soil at levels exceeding the EPA's cancer screening thresholds in 50% to 70% of his data points.
▪The soil contamination data collected by Stephen Petty was reportedly not disclosed to East Palestine residents during negotiations for a $600 million class-action settlement with Norfolk Southern.
Biden administration accountability
▪President Donald Trump has not approved the federal disaster declaration for East Palestine that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine originally requested in 2023.
▪Vice President JD Vance accused the Biden administration of potentially withholding information about public health risks from the East Palestine community and called for an investigation into who knew what and when.
EPA data falsification
▪The EPA took enforcement action against government subcontractor ALS Houston after discovering that its analysts altered groundwater sampling data collected at the East Palestine derailment site in fall 2025.
▪Prime contractor Tetra Tech confirmed the groundwater data alterations in February 2026 and fired two analysts, though the EPA stated that none of the falsified data was used in cleanup or enforcement decisions.
Phosgene hydrogen chloride exposure
▪The Interagency Modeling Atmospheric Assessment Center specifically projected that 17,972 people faced potential phosgene exposure and 312 faced potential hydrogen chloride exposure following the East Palestine derailment.
▪Documents obtained by the Government Accountability Project show that the federal Interagency Modeling Atmospheric Assessment Center projected on February 4, 2023, that approximately 18,000 people faced potential exposure to toxic substances at levels that could cause severe injury.
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