Two years after the fiery train derailment in East Palestine, residents say they are still experiencing symptoms they tie back to the derailment and vent and burn of toxic chemicals.
The 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment upended life in the town on the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The accident led to first responders venting and burning vinyl chloride, a toxic chemical and carcinogen, from derailed train cars. Since the accident, residents have complained of symptoms they say were caused by the spilled chemicals.
On the second anniversary of the derailment, East Palestine residents gathered to hear an update on research being conducted out of the University of California San Diego on the public health impacts of the accident. Lead researcher Beatrice Golomb has seen symptoms like this before, she said.
“The persistent symptom profile affecting a number of those in East Palestine following the derailment is a match to Gulf War Illness," she said.
Gulf War Illness symptoms experienced by veterans include fatigue, muscle weakness, cognitive problems and respiratory issues, Golomb said, something East Palestine resident Scott Meyer is familiar with, he said.
“We’ve had constant respiratory stuff, constant congestion, headaches," he said.
Seventy-three percent of East Palestine survey respondents have met the criteria for Gulf War Illness, Golomb said. People more affected by the derailment and are experiencing symptoms are likely to self select to participate in the study, so that number may be skewed, she said.
"It's not a problem for our study at all," she said. "In fact, it's favorable for our study, because our purpose is to look at whether the profile of new health problems when it emerges is a match."
Golomb's data shows that of East Palestine respondents 85% have anxiety, 67.5% have headaches, 80% have low energy, 82.5% have muscle pain and 80% have sleep problems.
Golomb plans to launch a pilot study soon providing some residents with an over-the-counter supplement that has helped Gulf War veterans, she said.
The anniversary also brought a parade of government officials into town, including Vice President JD Vance and Sen. Bernie Moreno. However, some residents were disappointed in the visit.
As an Ohio Senator, Vance cosponsored a bill to improve railroad safety, which died in the Senate in the last session of congress. While the head of the U.S. Department of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a statement Monday he will work to advance rail safety, it’s unclear if the Trump administration will push to pass similar legislation.
East Palestine resident Jami Wallace was expecting Vance to announce help for residents during his visit, she said.
"I really had faith in Vance. I've been in contact with Vance constantly, and I really thought Vance was going to do something today," she said. "I feel like we've been abandoned again."
She's lost all faith in government, including at the local level, which is too focused on economic development and not public health, she said.
“And who’s going to come here if the people are sick? What’s this community going to be?," Wallace said. "What’s the economic recovery going to look like when we’re all dead? It’s not just about the economy. It’s about the people.”
Wallace and other residents also criticized Vance and other government officials visiting for not talking to residents during their visit.
East Palestine resident Scott Meyer has more faith in the Trump administration to help East Palestine than he did in the Biden administration but not by much, he said.
"I have more confidence in their doing things for us than I did with the last administration. I'll say that," he said. "Not real impressed that they only talk with city government and city management."
Reps. Michael Rulli and Emilia Sykes are set to reintroduce railway reform legislation Tuesday. Sykes originally introduced the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives, or RAIL, Act shortly after the derailment. The new version requires at least a two person crew on all Class I freight and passenger trains, increases inspections on trains and has more regulations to prevent wheel bearing failures.
