Ohio state Sen. Michael Rulli (R) said that anyone living within 10 miles of East Palestine should not drink the water.

Rulli shared the warning during an interview on SiriusXM's "Breitbart News Saturday" following health concerns related to the recent train derailment and fire that released dangerous chemicals into the area.

Ohio Sen. Michael Rulli (R-Salem) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview on SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Saturday that anyone living within ten miles of East Palestine should not drink or bathe in the water. https://t.co/Rucyu2sSz5

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) February 18, 2023

The comments

“Anyone within ten miles, I am begging you not to drink the water. I am begging you not to bathe in the water. It is not safe,” Rulli told Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle on Saturday.

“Now that we’ve had this disaster, and fortunately for us, no one got killed on the initial explosion, but we got to worry about cancer in the next 5, 10, 15, 20 years,” he continued.

“So what I’m suggesting is that everyone goes as far away as you can and get a hotel room,” he added. “We got people that are fighting with Norfolk Southern. Norfolk says they’re going to pay for it. We got to hold their feet to the fire.”

Downplaying the concerns of the residents in East Palestine by comparing it to your ordinary train derailment is disgraceful and unbecoming of a "leader" responsible for overseeing our nation's transportation system. https://t.co/DGVEpD2yLf

— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) February 16, 2023

The woeful federal response

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) blasted Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for downplaying the concerns related to the train derailment and dangers to local residents.

"Downplaying the concerns of the residents in East Palestine by comparing it to your ordinary train derailment is disgraceful and unbecoming of a 'leader' responsible for overseeing our nation's transportation system," he tweeted alongside a video of Buttigieg's response.

The transportation secretary said in a video responding to the incident that, "While this horrible situation has gotten a particularly high amount of attention, there are roughly 1,000 cases a year of a train derailing."

Sec. Buttigieg has avoided the train derailment and subsequent environmental disaster unfolding in East Palestine for so long that the Mayor of the town now wants him to stay away.

This is what incompetence looks like. pic.twitter.com/OTifaim23k

— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) February 17, 2023

Donalds continued his scathing rebuke of Buttigieg's response in another tweet following the accident.

"Sec. Buttigieg has avoided the train derailment and subsequent environmental disaster unfolding in East Palestine for so long that the Mayor of the town now wants him to stay away," he tweeted. "This is what incompetence looks like."

The water concerns will remain for some time as the federal government seeks to help those impacted by the pollution in the local area.