On the night of February 3, 2023, the lives of the residents of East Palestine, Ohio were forever changed. Thirty-eight cars of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed, erupting into a massive fire that released toxic chemicals into our air, water, and land, just a mile from my home. The sight of a huge fireball from my driveway felt like a scene from an apocalyptic movie. Little did I know, this was only the beginning.
Norfolk Southern released and ignited 115,000 gallons of vinyl chloride, a lethal flammable gas used to make PVC plastic, along with a variety of other chemicals and petroleum products. The smoke wafted for miles, and we braved evacuation orders, health scares, a federal investigation, and a cleanup that is still ongoing. Nearly two years later, my community remains profoundly affected.
East Palestine and Norfolk Southern recently reached a $22 million settlement. And next week, Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit our town.
As we continue to navigate the aftermath of this disaster, now is the time for President Donald Trump and Vance to address the challenges we still face. Their presence in East Palestine, especially in the early days after the disaster, comforted many of us who felt abandoned by government and corporate entities. They gave us hope that even in times of partisan division, leaders could come together to support those in need.
While we all felt the immediate effects of this disaster, it is the ongoing recovery that is truly testing our resilience. I am the Chair of the Community Advisory Board for the East Palestine Train Derailment Health Tracking Study spearheaded by Dr. Erin Haynes from the University of Kentucky. One third of study participants show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and these levels have continued to rise through our last reporting period. In addition, around half of the…
