PERSONAL ADVICE I WOULD DRINK
THE BOTTLE OF WATER RIGHT NOW.
DAGEN: JOINING US EAST PALESTINE
BUSINESS OWNER D.J. OAKLEY WHO
IS CALLING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
FROM THE RAIL COMPANY NORFOLK
SOUTHERN.
D.J., GOOD TO SEE YOU.
HAVE YOU INTERACTED WITH PEOPLE
FROM NORFOLK SOUTHERN?
HAVE THEY GIVEN YOU ANY MONEY AT
ALL?
HAVE THEY PUT YOU UP IN A HOTEL?
TELL US ABOUT THAT PART OF WHAT
RESIDENT THERE ARE GOING
THROUGH.
>> YEAH.
SO THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM NORFOLK
SOUTHERN THAT ARE GIVING OUT,
WHAT THEY’RE CALLING
INCONVENIENCE CHECKS TO OUR
RESIDENT AND OFFERING TO OUR
RESIDENTS.
THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
ARE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE
HERE.
TO BE HONEST WITH YOU GUYS, WE
DON’T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE AT
THIS POINT.
WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE TELLING
US SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS FROM
LITIGATION TO NORFOLK SOUTHERN
TO THE EPA, WE HAVE TO MAKE
EDUCATED DECISIONS AND
UNFORTUNATELY WE’RE JUST NOT
GETTING ANSWERS TO MAKE THOSE
EDUCATED DECISIONS AT THIS TIME.
SEAN: JD, LOOK AT THE FUTURE,
YOU’RE A BUSINESS OWNER THE
COMMUNITY.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF YOUR
BUSINESS?
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF PEOPLE
SAYING I WANT TO STAY IN THIS
COMMUNITY VERSUS BUSINESS OWNERS
LIKE YOURSELF OR COMMUNITY
MEMBERS WHO MIGHT HAVE SPENT A
LIFETIME OR GENERATIONS THERE,
WE’RE OUT, WE’RE GOING SOMEWHERE
ELSE?
>> SO HONESTLY WE’RE NERVOUS.
THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
VERY NERVOUS.
OUR BUSINESS IS RIGHT OVER TOP
OF SULFUR RUN WHICH IS A LOT OF
THE PROBLEMS FOR WHAT THEY’RE
CLAIMING TO BE, ONE OF THE
TOXINS THAT CAME OUT, ONE OF THE
THREE TOXINS CAME OUT VERY LATE
IN THE GAME.
SO WE ARE NOT IN OUR BUSINESS.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE
COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS, THAT
I CANNOT RISK THEIR HEALTH AS A
BUSINESS OWNER BUT THERE ARE
BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPEN BECAUSE
THEY HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE.
THIS IS, WHEN YOU OWN A
BUSINESS, IT IS THE AMERICAN
DREAM, RIGHT?
AND THAT IS WHY PEOPLE COME TO
AMERICA.
RIGHT NOW WE’RE IN EAST
PALESTINE LIVING THE AMERICAN
NIGHTMARE BECAUSE SOME OF US
WON’T HAVE BUSINESSES.
WE SURVIVED COVID.
SOME OF US MIGHT NOT HAVE
BUSINESSES WHEN ALL SAID AND
DONE IN OUR OWN HOMETOWN.
DAGEN: JAKE, TALK INTO THE
CAMERA, WHO IS IT MOST IMPORTANT
FOR YOU TO HEAR FROM?
WHAT DO YOU NEED AS A BUSINESS
OWNER RIGHT NOW, WHETHER, AND
I’M NOT EVEN GOING TO PUT WORDS
IN YOUR MOUTH?
IF IT IS MONEY, WHAT IS IT?
>> WE JUST NEED TO KNOW THAT
WE’RE GOING TO BE OKAY AND WE’RE
A GREAT PEOPLE.
WE HAVE EVERY TOWN USA IN EAST
PALESTINE AND WHAT I THINK IS
BEING LOST IN TRANSLATION HERE,
THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED
ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
WE’RE ALL FROM SMALL TOWNS.
THINK ABOUT THE RAILROAD TRACK
IN YOUR TOWN.
THIS COULD HAVE ANY ONE OF US
BUT IT IS US.
WE JUST NEED ANSWERS FROM OUR
LEADERSHIP, FROM OUR ELECTED
OFFICIALS, TO LET US KNOW THAT
EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY.
WE CAN GO BACK TO THE WAY THINGS
WERE FEBRUARY 2nd, 2023 AND
IF WE CAN’T WE NEED TO GO NOW SO
WE CAN ADJUST THE GAME.
LIKE IT IS IN FOOTBALL, WE DON’T
KNOW WHO WE’RE PLAYING AGAINST,
WE DON’T HAVE TAPE, VIDEO TO
EVEN HAVE A SCOUT TEAM TO PLAY
THE GAME WE’RE TRYING TO WIN
RIGHT NOW AND YOU GUYS THINK
ABOUT THIS, THEY’RE TALKING
ABOUT THE WATER, NOBODY IS
DRINKING THE WATER FROM THE
OUTSIDE BUT THEY EXPECT US TO BE
OKAY DRINKING IT.
LAST NIGHT WE HAD CONGRESSMAN
BILL JOHNSON TO A 12-YEAR-OLD
BOY DURING THE TOWN MEETING,
JUST BECAUSE YOU SMELL SOMETHING
IT DOESN’T MEAN IT IS HARMFUL.
WHEN YOU PEEL AN ORANGE IT
DOESN’T MEAN IT IS HARMFUL TO
YOU.
CONGRESSMAN JOHNSON IF THIS WAS
A TRAIN FULL OF ORANGESSING WE
WOULD BE DRINKING ORANGE JUICE,
APPARENTLY WE’RE DRINKING TOXIC
CHEMICALS.
THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF
ACCOUNTABILITY BY OUR
CONGRESSMAN, BY THE SENATOR,
PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES WHO
DENIED US ASSISTANCE ON A
EMERGENCY BASIS BECAUSE FOLKS,
IF THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY WE
DON’T KNOW WHAT IS.
SEAN: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WE WISH THE BEST FOR EVERYONE IN
EAST PALESTINE.
DAGEN AND I BOTH COME FROM SMALL
TOWNS LIKE YOURS.
OUR HEART GOES OUT TO YOU,
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, DOES A