As we mark the third anniversary of the East Palestine train derailment and chemical disaster, I want to personally thank everyone who has been on this journey with us. From showing up in moments of crisis to staying engaged for the long haul, your care and solidarity have carried our community forward. I’m sharing the updates below as ways to continue supporting impacted communities and to keep pushing for real accountability and long-term care.
A new long-term health study has officially launched for people affected by the derailment. The study is being led by researchers at the University of Kentucky in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh and Yale University, with $10 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health over the next five years. The work is guided by a Community Advisory Board that I serve on alongside fellow advocates Jess Conard and Misti Allison. This study is a critical step toward understanding the long-term health impacts residents are experiencing and ensuring those experiences are documented. Impacted individuals are encouraged to learn more and enroll. You can also read a recent op-ed by Misti Allison that explains why this health study matters and what long-term monitoring means for communities living with the consequences of chemical disasters.
Community care remains essential. When I relocated after the derailment, I did so on my own dime and had to completely refurnish my home. I have a bed today because of mutual aid. I also know I am privileged in ways many impacted families are not. That’s why supporting Ohio Valley Derailment Mutual Aid, founded and led by impacted residents, matters so deeply to me. Mutual aid helps people meet immediate needs and, for some, makes relocation possible. Donations go directly to community-led support for families still living with the impacts of this disaster.
On the policy side, rail safety remains a pressing issue. It has been an honor to work alongside Chris Deluzio to advance real rail safety reforms. Today’s rail safety press conference made clear that this is not a fringe issue. Unions, first responders, and municipal leaders are all calling for stronger federal oversight and protections. In a recent op-ed, rail safety advocate Jess Conard makes clear why strong federal rail safety reform cannot wait. She connects the gaps exposed by East Palestine to the risks faced by communities everywhere and underscores that the Railway Safety Act is about preventing the next disaster, not reacting after harm has already occurred. We also encourage people to learn more about the bipartisan Under Pressure Act and to tell their elected officials that railway safety must be a priority.
Finally, it has been such a pleasure to help bring BCMAC’s Eyes on Transportation campaign and the Beaver County Train Cam project to life. These efforts are about making rail traffic visible and understandable so communities can better assess risk and demand accountability. Through this work, we continue to connect the dots between rail traffic and broader regional concerns, including increased train traffic near the Shell Plastics Plant and what that means for Beaver County and surrounding communities.
I hope you’ll read, share, and engage with these resources, and stand with communities still living with the impacts of the East Palestine disaster. Staying involved is how we turn harm into accountability and make sure no community is left to navigate long-term consequences alone. There is still significant work ahead, including an outstanding settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, and Norfolk Southern that could bring much-needed health testing to impacted communities, and we’ll be in touch once there are clear next steps on how we can continue pushing this forward together.
Please consider following and uplifting BCMAC's social media posts over the next week.
With love,
