There is the myth out there that Norfolk Southern "poisoned East Palestine" just so it can "keep the trains moving." This persistent myth is centered around the other myth of that Norfolk Southern demanded and made the exclusive decision to vent and burn railcars, but this was not ever Norfolk Southern's sole decision to make as part of the Unified Command structure.
Thinking that Norfolk Southern made that decision is ignorance of what a Unified Command is...
According to the National Response Team's hand book on the Unified Command concept (link below), a Unified Command serves as a forum to make consensual decisions. No one party in the Unified Command has the sole right to decide and all the agencies of the Unified Command over what to do about the railcars, which were believed to be rising in temperatures and, according to the experts of the scene, was going to end in wiping East Palestine off the map, along with many of the village residents and responders.
Yes, Shaw is right, correct and telling the truth. It's Mastriano who is wrong, mistaken and just ignorant.
So, when CEO Alan Shaw tells Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano that the decision to vent and burn was made by the Unified Command and hinted that it was East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick, which is the TRUTH. What CEO Shaw got was an accusation that he was "blaming a local fire chief." Mastriano and other Pennsylvania "fakeleaders," like members of Congress (Sen, Whitehouse), expected CEO Shaw to be an expert in chemicals, polymerization, environment hazards, the effects of hazardous chemicals on the human body.
Mastriano also engages in classic, politically left conspiracy in accusing CEO Shaw of "wanting to just get the trains running again..."as if CEO Shaw is just some Grinch-like bean counter, "unconcerned about the health of the people of East Palestine." Mastriano "finds it hard to believe that a local fire chief would be the one to make the decision to ignite the fire to set off carloads of chemicals." Shaw then stated, as he has again to this circus of political animals, that "[M]y understanding is the unified command was aligned on this."
The Unified Command made the decision to vent and burn, because this structure requires all members to be in agreement, and it was, indeed, East Palestine fire chief Keith Drabick that was the "trigger man." This decision may have prevented East Palestine, and everyone in it, from being wiped off the map. There was no "Norfolk Southern poisoning" and East Palestine is still there...
These myths were molded by these political animals back in March, but now they have morphed into the "Norfolk Southern poisoning" accusation that serves as a mean spirited, left wing, cynical attack against Norfolk Southern and all it is trying to do for East Palestine.
References
Ahmadi, Mahsa. "5 things to know about responding to a chemical emergency like the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment." APHL. 17 August 2023.
National Response Team. Unified Command Technical Assistance Document. Publish date unknown.
Scicchitano, Eric. Pa. Lawmakers grill Norfolk Southern CEO over train derailment. CNHINews.
Stevens. Bill. "NTSB East Palestine hearing centers on decision to vent and burn tank cars of vinyl chloride." Trains!, 23 June 2023.
