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CNN This Morning
EPA Administrator Discusses East Palestine Train Derailment; How President Biden Made It Safely Into And Out Of Ukraine; 76ers' Mac McClung Steals Show At NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired February 22, 2023 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:30:00]
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Pete Buttigieg hasn't been yet. Trump capitalizing on that?
MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Yes. I mean, if this was not a Trump-plus 20 district, as you just said, I don't think you would be seeing him there. If this was anything that was much closer electorally. He has been looking for opportunities to put himself in the news cycle.
We were just talking about fundraising and money that he has raised. His campaign has not raised a ton of money and that is part of why you are not seeing him do big rallies because those are very expensive. So he's looking for ways to put himself in and look as if he's a contrasting president with President Biden.
It can be very dicey when people show up when they have no actual role in a -- in a disaster. And so, he's not known for his empathy to begin with so we will see how this visit goes.
HARLOW: Yes.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we'll see.
Maggie, thank you very much.
HABERMAN: Thank you.
LEMON: Always a pleasure.
So, speaking of East Palestine, there's new reporting this morning that the EPA ordering Norfolk Southern to pay for the train derailment cleanup in East Palestine. The EPA says it will oversee and manage the rehabilitation of contaminated water and soil, require that Norfolk Southern hold community meetings, and make sure that Norfolk Southern pays for all cleanup costs.
The Ohio governor, Mike DeWine, and EPA administrator Michael Regan were in East Palestine yesterday where they drank tap water to help reassure residents that the water there is safe.
Straight now to talk to the EPA headquarters where CNN's Sara Sidner -- I should say to EPA headquarters where Sara Sidner is with the EPA administrator Michael Regan. Good morning, Sara.
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Don.
Yes, we're here in the EPA headquarters -- a gorgeous building -- with the EPA administrator Michael Regan. Thank you so much for coming on this morning. I know that you've been very, very busy for a really unfortunate situation.
Let's first talk about something that Don just mentioned, which is you went in and with the governor drank a glass of water and said look, things are OK.
But I will tell you from one of the people that we spoke with yesterday from East Palestine -- she said to us -- look, when I take a shower my skin burns. I have nausea, I have constant headaches, and I don't believe that this is safe to drink, that the soil is safe to plant anything in, and that the air is safe to breathe.
What do you tell someone who is having symptoms like this -- and she's not the only one?
MICHAEL REGAN, ADMINISTRATOR, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: Well, you know, I think that they have a lot of trauma in that community and people are experiencing a lot of things.
The first thing I would say is anybody experiencing any adverse health impact -- they should seek medical attention from their primary doctor or -- I was with the governor yesterday and they just opened a new clinic where we -- where they can guide people to seek medical attention.
You know, I see them. I hear them. I'm not second-guessing their experiences. But what I can say is the water that has been tested and the air that has been tested is coming back with no adverse health impact levels. And so we can provide the data but if people are experiencing things we're not going to second-guess anyone's experience. I'm asking that they seek medical attention at the local level.
SIDNER: To your point, you're saying you believe them -- that they are going through these things. And to their point, though, they say look, you have tested -- they realize that -- but you can't test everything.
Is it possible that some of these contaminants have made it into areas where they have not been tested, and that there is still a danger there in East Palestine?
REGAN: Listen, I trust the data. I trust the science.
From day one we have been on the ground along with the state doing the testing. At EPA we've deployed aerial testing in airplane -- high-tech airplane. We've deployed mobile testing -- a van that is going in and out of the communities. We have stationary air monitors all around the community strategically placed. And we have tested the indoor air quality of over 550 homes.
Nothing is coming back that shows adverse health impacts. And we are testing for everything that was on that train.
I also trust the testing protocol of the state. They have a very rigorous testing model and they've tested the municipal water.
I would say for those who are on private wells if you have not had your water tested please contact the state. And as Gov. DeWine has said, don't drink well water unless you have had those wells tested.
SIDNER: OK, that's really important because what you're saying is there is always a possibility that contaminants can exist somewhere that has not been tested and you need to really be careful. I'm hoping that the state or the federal government pays for those tests. Is that something that is going to happen?
REGAN: Listen, yesterday's announcement will ensure that Norfolk Southern pays for the mess that they've created. And so we are encouraging everyone to seek medical attention and ensure that the state and local health agencies understand those experiences. Because as we force Norfolk Southern to take full accountability for what they've done, Norfolk Southern will pay for everything. And anything that we do, Norfolk Southern will reimburse us.
[07:35:10]
They are the ones that caused this mess. They are the ones that are going to clean up and fix this mess.
SIDNER: Let me tell -- ask you how that's going to happen. What have you done so far as the EPA administrator and the EPA at large to push Norfolk Southern to do all of the things that you just mentioned -- to take responsibility?
REGAN: Yesterday's announcement sort of laid out the fact that we are transitioning from an emergency response phase, which was led by the state with EPA supporting the state, into a cleanup -- a longer-term cleanup phase. Now, what I announced using my legal authority we can hold Norfolk Southern accountable.
Number one, they will clean up every single piece of debris, all of the contamination to EPA's specifications and satisfaction. Number two, they will pay for it -- fully pay for it.
At any moment if we have to step in because they refuse to do anything we will do the cleaning up ourselves. We can fine them up to $70,000 a day and when we recoup our total costs we can charge them three times the amount of the cost of the federal government. That is what the law provides for me. We're going to use the full extent of our oversight and enforcement to hold Norfolk Southern accountable.
And they have to design a very specific work plan that's approved by EPA. So we're going to make sure that every single step is included and no stone is left unturned because the fact of the matter is they caused this trauma to the community and we're going to make sure that they pay for it.
SIDNER: Last question. You and I have traveled around. I have met up with you in places like Mississippi, West Virginia on the water issue in this country and the thing that keeps coming up over and over and over again is trust. The communities in these places that have dealt with something like this or that have had contaminated water, whether it be lead or bacteria, do not trust that they are going to be cared for.
REGAN: Yes.
SIDNER: They don't trust the federal government. They don't trust the state government. They don't trust their local government. And they don't trust the companies who have done some of this in those specific cases.
What are you going to do about the lack of trust? And they have reason for it --
REGAN: Yes.
SIDNER: -- because sometimes they've been lied to.
REGAN: You know, I'll do what we talked about yesterday during the announcement. Standing on the stage with Republicans and Democrats from two states at all levels of government, our sole goal is to win back and earn the trust of the community. We recognize that there's a trust deficit.
I sat down and did a community roundtable. I've visited homes on the ground of East Palestine. I know that a trust deficit exists. They gave us some very prescribed solutions and we're going to try to act on those.
Part of it is just being extremely transparent and making information available, and allowing them to take that raw data and information and let third parties validate that for them. So we have to be transparent. We have to be forthright.
And listen, as Democrats and Republicans we have to be united.
SIDNER: You end it on making sure that the water, air, and soil is safe.
Thank you so much, EPA administrator Michael Regan. I appreciate you coming on and speaking to people who are really concerned right now about their own health.
I'm going to toss it back to you, Don.
LEMON: All right. Thank you both. I really appreciate that.
And we need to tell the viewers that tonight be sure to tune into CNN at 9:00 p.m. for a town hall -- a CNN town hall on the toxic train disaster. The Ohio governor, Mike DeWine, will be there along with concerned residents. You don't want to miss that. And our Miguel Marquez is live on the ground in East Palestine as we hear from the CEO of Norfolk Southern -- Miguel.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Norfolk Southern is talking. Officials are talking. I want to give you a sense of what is happening here -- this massive cleanup underway. We will have a lot more for you coming up at 8:00 a.m.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Also this morning it is being called 'Rail Force One'. Next, hear how the CEO of Ukrainian Railways and his team secretly got President Biden into and out of Ukraine. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL)
[07:43:33]
COLLINS: As he made the long and surreal journey into Kyiv, President Biden was not on a plane operated by the U.S. military but, instead, on a train run by Ukrainian Railways. President Biden boarded the train at the Poland-Ukraine border. That's the same station where many thousands of refugees also traveled through after Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, fleeing with their families and for their safety from Putin's war.
The head of Ukraine's railway system has dubbed the trip 'Rail Force One' now, saying that it was an honor to host Biden while acknowledging that it was quite a complicated journey to actually get the president on that plane (sic) -- a complicated project as he described it.
Alexander Kamyshin then apologized for breaking the railway's on-time performance, saying still 90 percent of the trains on that secret trip as it was going on did operate on time. He said, "It was painful for me and my team, but I had to do that. Only 90 percent of our trains arrived on time yesterday. I apologize."
I spoke with Alexander Kamyshin just before the program this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Joining me now is the CEO of Ukrainian Railways, Alexander Kamyshin. Alexander, thank you so much for being with us. I know you've had quite a week.
When did you find out that President Biden was coming and that he was going to be riding on one of your trains?
ALEXANDER KAMYSHIN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, UKRAINIAN RAILWAYS (via Skype): Well, we were happy to bring him in and out with this visit. I'm sure that was a historical moment for Ukraine, for U.S., and for the whole world. Because if you remember, Russia promised to take Kyiv in three days and on the final -- the 362nd day of the war, President Biden appears in Kyiv and walks (audio gap) with my president, Zelenskyy. So it's kind of a really historical moment.
[07:45:22]
We were happy and privileged, and honored to be the official carrier of the President Biden so we called our train 'Rail Force One.'
COLLINS: Rail Force One' -- that is what you've dubbed it now that President Biden has been on board.
KAMYSHIN: Yes.
COLLINS: You talked to my colleague Anderson Cooper about a year ago and you told him then you were ready to host President Biden if he was going to come to Ukraine. You were ready for him to travel in one of your cars. But when you found out that he was actually coming were you -- were you kind of nervous?
KAMYSHIN: I was not nervous but focused and determined until the moment he left the borders of Ukraine because trust me, it was a complicated mission and so we got pretty much job to do to make it happen in the proper way, and we done it.
COLLINS: Yes. What kind of preparation goes into that? How do you prepare to host the U.S. president in such a dangerous time and dangerous place?
KAMYSHIN: We worked hand-in-hand with the embassy of the U.S. In Ukraine, we worked hand-in-hand with other special services from the U.S. side and from the Ukrainian side -- the minister of infrastructure of Ukraine -- and finally, we got this job done.
COLLINS: And you've also hosted other world leaders. Every world leader that's come into Ukraine has traveled on one of your trains getting into Kyiv.
What is the responsibility like to have people like that on your trains?
KAMYSHIN: Well, we already got about 300 official delegations with worldwide leaders -- presidents, prime ministers, members of Parliament, of the Congress -- and it's really a responsible mission for us. We call this mission iron diplomacy. And that's how we help our president to make his diplomatic mission happen.
And every single guest of the iron diplomacy program is an honored guest for us. We do our best to bring them in and out safely -- that's first of all. Second, we try to show them what is Ukraine because they usually spend on the train much more time than in the city. And that was the case with President Biden as well. He spent 20 hours on the train and only four hours in the city.
So we try to -- we do our best to make their trip unforgettable.
COLLINS: Yes, it is quite a trip. It's 20 hours with both ways included.
Russia -- the Russians have struck the trains before -- the train tracks. Are you ever worried about retaliation when something like this happens?
KAMYSHIN: Well, we are (audio gap) us daily. So we kind of know what to do now and we are ready for that. And actually, we always fix -- always get it back to operations. We never stop -- never cancel any single train.
COLLINS: I think one of the most remarkable things that you said yesterday when you were talking about the complicated process of getting President Biden into Kyiv on one of your trains was you apologized to other people who take Ukrainian Railways, saying that only 90 percent of the trains were on time yesterday. I think everyone could give you a pass for this one given you were accommodating the U.S. president on such a secret visit.
KAMYSHIN: Well, you know, for us, on-time performance is really an important focus. During the war, people should rely on something. Railways became a reliable transportation for our people and that's why we had to delete some trains to make the Rail Force One run smoothly and safely.
And I had to apologize because we usually strive to get better performance but two days ago it was not that good.
COLLINS: I know the war has had such an impact on you personally. You have been trying to keep the trains running, as you were noting, as a source of stability for so many of your fellow Ukrainians. You, yourself, didn't see your family really at the beginning of the war if I remember correctly.
How have you been doing?
[07:50:00]
KAMYSHIN: Well, (audio gap) I've got personal impact. And like many Ukrainians that is really significant and high price we are paying in this war, missing our families and having fighting in this war.
Finally, I'm sure that one day we will make this -- make this -- make their day closer and then it would be great time to spend more time with the family and have some time.
COLLINS: Alexander Kamyshin, CEO of Ukrainian Railways, thank you for joining us to talk about your amazing trip that you hosted for President Biden this week. We really appreciate your time.
KAMYSHIN: Thanks for inviting. Travel by trains.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Travel by train. It was such a -- it's such a good point that he made though about what a sign of stability the trains really have been for the Ukrainian people. The fact that they have been the main mode of transportation for so many -- not just U.S. presidents and world leaders.
LEMON: Yes. Can you imagine the responsibility -- HARLOW: No.
LEMON: -- of --
HARLOW: No.
LEMON: -- keeping the leader of the free world safe. And if something had happened to him --
HARLOW: It's such a good point.
LEMON: -- what happens to all the aid from the United States, you know?
HARLOW: Yes.
LEMON: That's a big responsibility.
HARLOW: That was fascinating.
LEMON: Yes.
HARLOW: I'm a travel-by-train kind of chick --
LEMON: Yes.
HARLOW: -- too. I like them.
LEMON: Yes, there was travel when I was there. Lots of travel -- of travel.
HARLOW: What? I'm a travel -- you guys fly to D.C. I train to D.C. Did you not get it? OK.
Coming up -- wait until you see this. Listen to the man who literally dunked on the competition. Mac McClung, fresh off his All-Star weekend win joins CNN THIS MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Did you think you could pull that off or did you surprise yourself?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL)
[07:56:06]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, FORMER PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER, SPORTS ANALYST, "INSIDE THE NBA": I want to give a shoutout to Mac McClung. He definitely saved the dunk contest. That was a beautiful performance. I haven't seen the fans excited like that in a long time. CHARLES BARKLEY, FORMER PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER, SPORTS ANALYST, "INSIDE THE NBA": He's actually the only person who has something to lose. The other guys are in the NBA already. For him to seize that moment -- for him to stick, as they say in gymnastics -- to stick every dunk --
O'NEAL: Yes.
BARKLEY: -- was incredible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: It really was incredible. From a G-leaguer to the NBA Slam Dunk Contest champ. Mac McClung stole the show at this year's All-Star Weekend -- watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm worried about the guy holding the other guy. At some point, he's going to go down.
MAC MCCLUNG, NBA SLAM DUNK CHAMPION: Slam-dunking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, ooh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was McClung.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoo.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a wrap. That's a wrap.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, it is over, ladies and gentlemen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: McClung joins the ranks of NBA legends like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Vince Carter, scoring a perfect 50 three times during the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest Saturday night. I got a chance to talk with him a little earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: It was amazing. We all love to see a story like that. What is it like for you, and to hear, like, Shaq and Chuck and everyone praising you like that?
MCCLUNG: Man, it's really been a blur. I mean, it's a blessing. I was -- I was telling everybody being from a small town and just -- it's been a great experience and I just feel really blessed and grateful.
HARLOW: Did you think you could pull that off or did you surprise yourself? MCCLUNG: Well, I practiced the dunks. I think the biggest thing was really just getting the first dunk in, and once that one went down it gave me a lot of confidence. And the crowd was great and made me feel a lot of confidence.
HARLOW: It's so -- that crowd is electric. I've been there for past dunk contests and it's electric, right -- just the feeling is everything.
As you know, LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer just a few weeks ago. And our friend and colleague Andy Scholes asked him about you. Listen to what LeBron said.
LEBRON JAMES, NBA ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER: He's a -- he solidified himself as one of the brightest -- one of the greatest slam dunk competitors that we've had in the history of the game.
HARLOW: What do you think about that?
MCCLUNG: That's surreal. I mean, LeBron is definitely someone who inspires me on the daily and someone I was around for just a little bit when I had my stint with the Lakers. And I could see how hard he worked and he was just a really big inspiration to me. So hearing that is really nice.
HARLOW: You know, The Washington Post writes this about you, Mac. They write getting people to see you as a basketball player and not a viral sensation has been one of the -- one of the toughest parts of your journey. And I wonder if you can talk about that a little bit because we see all the highlights here but your goal, as you told Andy, has been play in the NBA -- like, really play.
MCCLUNG: Yes. I mean, that's still my goal this day. I -- you know, I'm still working to that every day and I feel like I'm playing well and our team is playing well. I'm just going to stay the course. I'm not really worried about how people view me. You can't really control what other people think and it doesn't -- it doesn't really bother me that much to be -- to be honest with you. So I'm just -- I'm just steady working and enjoying the process.
HARLOW: So just before the dunk contest you signed with the Sixers, so we saw you in a Sixers jersey there. But what do you hope is next for your basketball journey? You've got many, many years ahead of you.
MCCLUNG: Yes. I mean, I hope to -- I hope to find a role in the NBA and I hope to help a team win a championship. That's my ultimate dream. And like I was saying, I'm going to continue to work. I really believe in myself and I'm going to continue to prepare for that moment and I'll be ready when it happens.
HARLOW: Yes. Well look, Mac, it was awesome for us to see.
[08:00:00]
