Michael Regan [EPA]: EPA has issued a letter to Norfolk Southern, outlining actions at the site, and how the agency will hold the railroad accountable for clean up and costs under EPA's circular authority.
Sherrod Brown: The important thing to me is that we hold Norfolk Southern accountable. That means accountable for the tests for people to move back in, accountable for all the clean-up that will take weeks; I don't know how long, but at least weeks.
[it will take much longer than 'weeks']
Sherrod Brown: I just asked Norfolk Southern to not force people, so far we think they haven't done that, to force people to give up their legal rights to accept that money. There is no justification ever for that.
Anne Vogel [Ohio EPA]: Testing is not currently being done, in terms of surface testing, by the state of Ohio…I know there are some toxicologists that are doing it privately…we haven't found residue where we've been looking. The nature of the controlled release was such that those materials combusted and dissipated into the air.
From the wiki for Michael Regan, current EPA administrator:
"…served as secretary of North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality and air quality specialist in the US EPA. His elevation to that role was widely praised by environmental groups because of his track record for addressing environmental racism and supporting policy to address climate change.