US Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) returned to East Palestine on Monday to hear directly from the manufacturing industry and visited RBS Manufacturing alongside RBS CEO Rick Severs. (Photo by Stephanie Elverd)
EAST PALESTINE – When a Norfolk Southern train derailed on Feb. 3, much of the attention was focused on the lives that were thrown from the tracks along with 53 rails. On Monday, the focus was on affected livelihoods as US Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) returned to East Palestine to hear directly from the manufacturing industry and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announce a new emergency support program to help East Palestinian businesses affected by the February Train Derailment.
Monday’s visit to the town was the senator’s sixth since the derailment. Brown visited RBS Manufacturing, a ceramics plant in eastern Palestine, and hosted a panel discussion for local manufacturers where he learned about workforce issues in the wake of the rail disaster as companies struggle to shake the stigma .
“I heard from the agricultural community a few weeks ago, and even though their products have been proven safe, people are buying elsewhere because they may not have confidence. Manufacturing is about labor,” Brown said. “It’s always a challenge to hire skilled workers in a community like this because not many people have these skills. Companies take time to train employees and then end up moving to bigger cities. The derailment created an even greater challenge. This company is doing well; there are still challenges to hire people.”
RBS Manufacturing is located one street away from the tracks and employs about 35 at the East Palestine location. The business suffered some fire damage in the initial events on February 3, but was closed for less than a week.
“We were closed for three or four days,” said Rick Severs, vice president and general manager of RBS Manufacturing. “That was our main disruption, but now it’s the lack of confidence in what’s going on.”
Brown said his job is to make Norfolk Southern provide a remedy to businesses in the village, from small shops to larger companies, that have suffered in some way from the derailment.
“Norfolk Southern is cooperating in many ways, but we are still challenging them to meet their obligations.” Brown said. “We will continue to monitor them and put pressure on them. “
Brown said he will continue to apply pressure for as long as it takes.
“This is the type of community that is often forgotten or exploited by corporate America. I’m here for the long haul.” he said “We’ll still be here as long as it takes to make sure residents get the support they need, and that includes all the manufacturers in and around Columbiana County.”
Some companies cannot afford to wait for a remedy. Their positions are more precarious. These companies can now turn to the East Palestine Emergency Support Program. The program will provide 100 percent interest-free forgivable loans to businesses to help with ongoing expenses and recovery efforts associated with the train derailment. Ohio for-profit and non-profit businesses located within a 2-mile radius of East Palestine that were operating on or before December 1, 2022, can apply for loans between $10,000 and $1 million dollars The radius measured from the center of the town.
“We are building on the commitment we made more than four months ago to support families in eastern Palestine,” DeWine said. “This program is essential to the long-term recovery, giving businesses affected by this tragedy more support to recover and thrive.”
The program was made possible through the collaborative efforts of DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Ohio Sen. Michael Rulli (R-Salem) and State Representative Monica Robb Blasdel (R-Columbia County). On Monday, the State Control Board approved the transfer of $5 million to be used to fund the East Palestine Emergency Support Program.
“The recovery efforts and ongoing support we have seen in East Palestine are truly remarkable,” he added. in Rolli. “I am grateful for the Board of Supervisors’ approval of these critical aid dollars that will help small businesses in my community continue to recover. It is crucial that we continue to do everything we can to ensure that our small businesses have what they need to thrive again.”
Loans may be eligible to be forgiven if the funds are used for payroll, employee benefits, rent or mortgage payments, utility costs, train derailment-related worker protective equipment, and train replacement costs. inventory The program will be administered by the Ohio Department of Development. Additional details about the program will be available at development.ohio.gov/eastpalestine.
The program is a step in the right direction, according to Robb Blasdel.
“Our people of East Palestine deserve to be made whole regarding the destructive derailment that affected the entire community,” he said. said Robb Blasdel. “For our businesses and employees who work for both the city and the residents, this will allow them to receive loans for any damage related to the accident. Hopefully, this is a way to help East Palestine and our businesses move forward.”
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