Truth or dare: wealthy netizen's reward for Ohio chemical leak probe shows widespread skepticism of US media outlets

Screenshot from Weibo

In a demonstration of public concern over the recent Ohio chemical leakage crisis, a wealthy netizen going by the name "Parody Pelosi" on Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media platform, has offered 100,000 RMB to any volunteer who will go to the site and report for 24 hours without protective gear.

The volunteer's travel expenses will be covered, and they will be required to eat and drink locally, according to legal documents "Parody Pelosi" posted on Weibo. No information about "Parody Pelosi," other than being an "American Chinese," was provided.

The internet user also stated they were furious since many netizens claim that the US media is not covering the catastrophe because it is not a big issue, and they will pay money to anyone who dares to attempt to cover it.

The message quickly went viral, with at least two volunteers signing up for the expedition. On Weibo, "Parody Pelosi" congratulated the volunteers and said they had already sent the applicants a non-disclosure agreement and a waiver release form.

The online farce comes days after a train derailment accident in Ohio that resulted in toxic chemicals being released into the environment. Though the accident has been impacting residents in the affected area for more than a week, American mainstream media outlets preferred to focus on the groundless "Chinese balloon" incident rather than the environmental disaster. US media outlets have only recently started paying attention to the incident, though many have been trying to downplay its severe consequences.

Due to the mainstream media's hesitation to warn people and reveal the truth about the chemical leak, many nearby residents have taken their grievances online, claiming that the US government and the media are not listening to their voices.

Linda Murphy, a resident of East Palestine, Ohio, told the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) that there were several dead fish floating at multiple locations.

“That is what we bathe in. That’s what we drink. That’s what we cook with. And they could not reassure me that the water was safe to drink,” she said.

Murphy is not the only person to accuse the US government and media outlets of failing to do their jobs.

Screenshot from Twitter

“While they have everyone chasing UFOs, they're hiding the fact that Ohio is experiencing a Chernobyl tier disaster after a train derailment released toxic carcinogens into one of the most fertile areas in America. Journalists reporting on it are being arrested,” said US Twitter user BABS D.

Neil Donahue, a professor of chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University in nearby Pittsburgh, told AP he worries that the burning could have formed dioxins, which are created from burning chlorinated carbon materials.

“Vinyl chloride is bad, dioxins are worse as carcinogens and that comes from burning,” Donahue said.

Dioxins are a group of persistent environmental pollutants that last in the ground and body for years and have been one of the main environmental problems and sources of controversy in the United States.

According to the US National Transportation Safety Board, about 50 cars on a Norfolk Southern Railroad train, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3.

The train was transporting hazardous items, including chemicals and flammables. To avoid an explosion, enormous plumes of smoke, including vinyl chloride, phosgene, hydrogen chloride, and other gases, were expelled for days during a controlled release and burn.