Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, set the internet on fire after he released a video of what one political commentator called a "chemical rainbow" in Ohio creek water.
"There are dead worms and dead fish all throughout this water," Vance said in the video as he stood next to Leslie Run Creek in East Palestine, Ohio.
"This is disgusting," he said.
A Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals went off the rails on Feb. 3, causing a fire that damaged multiple cars and led to those dangerous substances leaking into the ground and water, prompting an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency.
OHIO SEN. VANCE TAKES VIDEO OF CREEK IN EAST PALESTINE AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL: 'THIS IS DISGUSTING'
Vance then scraped the bottom of the creek bed with a stick, which appeared to show "chemicals coming out of the ground."
Political commentators reacted to the video Thursday, warning Ohioans and the nation of chemical dangers.
Conservative activist Rogan O'Handley described the multicolored Ohio creek water as a "chemical rainbow."
"This is people’s water supply we’re talking about and chemicals have been found hundreds of miles away," O’Handley added.
OHIO MOM SOUNDS THE ALARM ON AIR QUALITY IN EAST PALESTINE: 'WE'RE STILL BEING POISONED'
Water samples collected along the Ohio River have found butyl acrylate, one of the chemicals from the derailment — at levels estimated at 3 parts per billion, said Scott Mandirola, the deputy cabinet secretary for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
Federal guidance for drinking water has limits of 560 parts per billion, Mandirola explained.
"The EPA is lying to us," political commentator Scott Presler said in response to Vance's viral video.
Local Ohio news anchor Yolanda Harris was grateful for the senator's video: "Thank you for bringing attention to this @JDVance1"
Former Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., also applauded Vance's effort: "Kudos to @JDVance1 on his response to the East Palestine catastrophe. Service is about showing up + advocacy, but many only arrive when there is a clear partisan advantage to be had. In reality, many issues aren’t partisan but about responding to constituents as Vance has done."
One of Vance's colleagues, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, weighed in as well: "This is both tragic and deeply troubling. The cleanup can’t happen soon enough!"
Some in the liberal media have framed the public’s response to the Ohio train derailment as misinformation from conservative commentators.
"After a train carrying toxic material derailed in Ohio this month, Right-wing commentators have been particularly critical of the response, using the crisis to sow distrust about government agencies and suggest that the damage could be irreparable," The New York Times tweeted Thursday.
Fox News’ Paul Best contributed to this report.
