Experts Focus on Wheel Bearing as Possible Cause of Ohio Train Derailment

White House says it is working closely with state government officials

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in Washington on Dec. 19, 2022. Brandon Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

As White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the derailment of 50 freight cars in Ohio, during a Feb. 14 press conference, an update from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has identified a wheel bearing as a potential culprit in the disastrous incident.

“NTSB investigators have identified and examined the rail car that initiated the derailment. Surveillance video from a residence showed what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” the update states.

“The wheelset from the suspected railcar has been collected as evidence for metallurgical examination. The suspected overheated wheel bearing has been collected and will be examined by engineers from the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington.”

The update notes that the investigation is ongoing.

Jean-Pierre’s statement during the press conference, meanwhile, detailed the local and federal responses, including the NTSB, without mentioning Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] is working hand-in-glove with the State of Ohio,” Jean-Pierre told reporters.

She said the Biden administration “has been in close touch with local officials to ensure they have what they need and that their needs are being met.”

Buttigieg has come under fire from Republicans over the Feb. 3 derailment and other incidents in recent months, ranging from airline delays to supply chain crises.

Wreckage from the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2023. Jeff Louderback/The Epoch Times

The cabinet-level official, formerly a McKinsey consultant and mayor of a college town in Indiana, did not address the incident in remarks at an event on the morning of Feb. 13.

“I continue to be concerned about the impacts of the Feb. 3 train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio, and the effects on families in the 10 days since their lives were upended through no fault of their own,” Buttigieg wrote in a Twitter post later that evening.

During Jean-Pierre’s Feb. 14 press conference, she noted that both the NTSB and the EPA have had a presence at the site since Feb. 4, the day after the derailment.

An EPA spokesperson who has communicated with The Epoch Times directed many specific questions about the reported harm to people and animals to local and state-level agencies in Ohio.

“Since the fire went out on Feb. 8, EPA air monitoring has not detected any levels of health concern in the community that are attributed to the train derailment. Air monitoring data was provided to state health agencies on Feb. 8 for review prior to the state’s decision to lift the evacuation,” said EPA’s Debra Shore in a Feb. 14 statement.

“EPA has assisted with the screening of 396 homes under a voluntary screening program offered to residents, and no detections of vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride were identified.

“Sixty-five additional homes are scheduled for today [Feb. 14]. We are continuing to conduct 24/7 air monitoring to ensure the health and safety of residents,” she added.

Local Concern Over Impact Remains

Ohio lawmakers and East Palestine locals have expressed concerns over the incident’s effect on the health and well-being of people, livestock, and wildlife.

Marilyn Figley, a farmer living near the derailment site, told The Epoch Times she isn’t certain if she can eat eggs produced by her chickens.

“I called the Health Department. They don’t know anything. The EPA hasn’t told me anything,” she said.

Jonathan Shofstahl, co-founder of a welding company across the road from the derailment site, told The Epoch Times he was mainly worried about “the potential long-term environmental impact.”

In a Feb. 13 statement, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) said he had “heard alarming anecdotes about contaminated waterways and effects on wildlife.”

“Many questions remain unanswered about the quality of the braking system used, the durability of the repair parts in the trains, and the Transportation Department’s regulatory approach to our nation’s rail system,” he added.

“Aside from this incident, there is a troubling trend of catastrophic infrastructure problems in our country, and more than a few reports of sabotage. My office will be investigating these concerns in the weeks to come.”