Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) called for a Paycheck Protection Program-style program Sunday to ease the burden afflicting residents of East Palestine, Ohio.
Vance contended in an op-ed that the recent toxic spill and burn-off of dangerous chemicals from the train derailment only compounds long-standing problems of deindustrialization that have hampered the roughly 5,000-person community and surmised that a PPP-style program could be a viable solution.
OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT: FEDERAL OFFICIALS CONDUCT HEALTH SURVEYS OF EAST PALESTINE FAMILIES
"East Palestine will need its own version of the Paycheck Protection Program to protect workers and businesses who lost their livelihoods because of the decisions of others. Otherwise, an entire town of good people will suffer mightily through no fault of their own," Vance wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post.
PPP was a pandemic-era program in which businesses were given grants and loans to stay afloat amid government shutdowns and a COVID-19-induced plunge in consumer spending.
On Feb. 3, a Norfolk Southern freight train transporting dangerous chemicals, such as vinyl chloride, derailed near East Palestine. Officials conducted a controlled burn out of fear that there could be an explosion, but there were concerns that the move catalyzed the release of toxic chemicals into the nearby soil, air, and water.
Although some residents have reported rashes and other ailments, Vance argued that there is some room for optimism based on the preliminary findings of environmental impact from the spill that suggest it may not be quite as bad as feared.
"So far, air and water tests performed by the Environmental Protection Agency, Norfolk Southern, and local officials have been encouraging. Most people I’ve spoken to are highly skeptical of both the train company and the federal EPA, but they are heartened by the fact that their friends and neighbors are testing the water, too," he wrote.
However, he underscored that the community's reputation will be tarnished regardless, and the community will continue reeling from it for a long time to come.
"Residents must rebuild an already stressed local economy, in a media environment where every story about the health concerns of residents drives people and capital away from their town," Vance said. "No matter how much independent testing shows the worst of the environmental catastrophe is behind us, East Palestine will be dealing with bad perception, and its economic consequences, for years."
As money gets driven out of the community and distresses job creation, prospective home buyers will likely eschew East Palestine as well, further amplifying its economic woes, according to Vance.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
"We can help, not just tomorrow but months from now. East Palestine needs long-term investment, from both the federal government and Norfolk Southern Railway," he added.
Vance molded himself as a populist type of conservative during the 2022 midterm elections. Some Republicans have lamented the PPP Program, insisting it was rife with fraud. Multiple watchdogs have estimated that billions of dollars were swindled from the PPP program during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.