Ohio State Senator ‘Begs’ People to Not Drink the Water in East Palestine

HEPACO workers, an environmental and emergency services company, observe a stream in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 9, 2023 as the cleanup continues after the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train. Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo

Ohio state Sen. Michael Rulli, a Republican whose district covers East Palestine, on Saturday warned that people living within ten miles of the small Ohio-Pennsylvania border town should not drink or bathe in the water.

The Ohio EPA said earlier this week that water testing results showed no contaminants in the municipal water. But Rulli remains unconvinced.