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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.
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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 participants indicated they continue to experience upper airway symptoms and non-sinus headaches as well, highlighting the ongoing physical health issues that the community is facing. These findings underscore the severe and lasting impact of the disaster on the residents of East Palestine, emphasizing the urgent need for continued support and intervention.
Both Trump and Vance have criticized the federal response to the East Palestine disaster. “We stand with you. We pray for you. And we will stand with you and your fight to help ensure the accountability that you deserve,” said Trump in 2023. “You have a President going to Ukraine and you have people in Ohio that are in desperate need of help.”
“Biden and FEMA said they would not send federal aid to East Palestine under any circumstance. They’re not going to send aid,” Trump also said. (The situation did not qualify for FEMA disaster relief, although the Environmental Protection Agency, National Transportation Safety Board, and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) all contributed resources in the aftermath of the crash.)
Additionally, Vance also strongly criticized the Biden Administration’s response. “The Biden administration has ignored Ohio’s pleas for help. This is inexcusable: a disaster declaration would guarantee the delivery of resources the community needs to save itself,” Vance wrote in an August 2023 op-ed. “Cleanup efforts overseen by Joe Biden’s environmental protection officials have also been woefully inadequate…Despite the federal government’s vast resources, it appears to be woefully incapable of monitoring the long-term health impacts of a chemical spill.”
Now in their roles as the President and Vice President of the United States, Trump and Vance can address the critiques they lobbed at the previous administration and directly make good on their promises.
Beyond lip service, there are several concrete steps they must take in order to truly support East Palestine.
Provide long-term healthcare
Impacted residents are still experiencing health effects from chemical exposure and contamination lingering from the 2023 incident, and there is still no organized healthcare guidance nor a funding source for necessary care. It is critical that everyone can access the medical support they need. The President can enact an emergency declaration or urge the HHS to declare a public health emergency to ensure treatment for short- and long-term health impacts for anyone exposed to environmental health hazards from the train derailment and its aftermath.
In 2023, both Vance and his fellow Ohio Senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, supported an emergency declaration to activate provisions under Section 1881A of the Social Security Act which allows for emergency funding to be distributed to communities affected by disasters. These funds would be a lifeline for many families here who are still grappling with health concerns, economic hardship, and ongoing cleanup efforts. Now as Vice President, Vance needs to ensure federal funds are expediently and strategically allocated to ensure the healthcare needs of our impacted community are safeguarded both in the short term and long term.
Increase funding for health research
Families in East Palestine deserve to understand the long-term health implications of the Norfolk Southern train derailment. Trusted and respected research institutions that were awarded six National Institutes of Health grants to study the short- and long-term impacts of what happened in East Palestine need prolonged funding to help us understand and address the potential health risks faced by our community. Without prolonged funding, these research studies will expire at the end of the year.
Safeguard environmental monitoring and testing
The cleanup, monitoring, and testing efforts of our town must continue for decades to ensure that our environment remains safe and habitable. Ongoing support for these efforts is crucial to the health and well-being of our community. This support should include comprehensive environmental testing of our water, land, and air. Additionally, it is essential to regularly test private wells, as they could become contaminated years from now, posing long-term health risks to residents.
Two years ago, Trump promised our community that he would do everything in his power to ensure our safety and well-being, and that he would not rest until the truth was uncovered. And Vance has repeatedly assured us of his unwavering commitment to working with organizations to ensure East Palestine gets the help it desperately needs and that those responsible are held accountable. Their efforts have given us a glimmer of hope that meaningful change can arise from this disaster.
However, we have not yet seen Trump and Vance’s promises turn into action. And we still face a daunting journey ahead in terms of public health, economic recovery, and environmental cleanup. But with the right federal support, I am confident we can implement a comprehensive plan to protect those affected.
Our community demands answers and results, not more excuses. President Trump and Vice President Vance must step up and get East Palestine back on track and set a precedent for how the federal government should support an American community.
