Yesterday, Loevy + Loevy filed a FOIA lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of our client, the Government Accountability Project (GAP), denying expedited processing and a fee waiver for GAP’s FOIA request related to the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment disaster. The FOIA requested data and communications on dioxins and other chemicals spilled and burned during the derailment. In the 46 years GAP has existed, the organization has never been turned down for a fee waiver.
In its FOIA, GAP maintained that a \”lack of expedited treatment could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat to the life and physical safety of thousands of residents in East Palestine and neighboring communities that may be exposed to dangerous dioxins in the air, water, soil and in the dust in their homes following the burning of vinyl chloride and other chemicals.
GAP has launched its own investigation into the EPA’s disaster response in East Palestine: “If you are sick, if your children are sick, we want to hear from you.”
Read the full legal complaint filed by Loevy + Loevy attorneys Tara Thompson and Matt Topic here.
