By: Cate Eberly

On Friday, February 3, 2023, 53 cars of a Northfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The derailment occurred just under five miles from the Pennsylvania border. The tanker cars held a variety of chemicals, and most caught on fire. 

Directly following the disaster, many residents were immediately forced to evacuate due to the risk of toxic exposure. Though East Palestine is a rural area, more urban cities are nearby: Cleveland, Akron, and Pittsburgh. Cities were also faced with the effects of the derailment. Within a 25-mile radius of the derailment site, it is estimated that roughly 585,000 people were potentially impacted. 

Shortly after the derailment, the Norfolk Southern Railroad and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assured that residents in East Palestine were safe. But in the following months, the effects of the derailment and mass release of chemicals became prominent.

One lasting effect has proven to be the impact on water quality. Chemicals spilled during the derailment have run into local bodies of water such as rivers and streams contaminating them in the East Palestine area. Water contamination poses an increasing threat to the health of the local wildlife as well as those who rely on local waterways for their drinking water. Just five miles away from East Palestine, 43,000 fish have died in local creeks. 

Agriculture has also been affected. Luckily no large animal operations were close to the derailment. However, a significant amount of animals were present in the nearby area. Many animals have been reported dying and getting sick over 20 miles from the derailment site. 

People living in East Palestine over a year later continue to be challenged by the effects of the derailment. Community members with preexisting medical conditions have suffered greatly. Exposures to the chemicals released can enhance underlying medical conditions, creating a greater health concern for these individuals.

The rural location of East Palestine has led to challenges facing relief efforts. Many living in the area did not have the proper resources to protect themselves following the disaster. Many citizens were not able to relocate themselves, take off work for extended periods, or pay medical bills for proper treatment. 

In response, Northfolk Southern funded clean-up efforts for around 39 million gallons of liquid waste and 165,000 tons of solid waste. 

Clean up in the last few months has life in East Palestine gradually moved towards normal as businesses reopen and people slowly return to work. However, the end of the impact is far from over. Northfolk Southern has yet to announce a long-term plan to monitor East Palestine´s community health, but parts of the community remain hopeful.

Lisa Mahoney, a teacher in East Palestine is hopeful that East Palestine will have “greatest comeback in American history. But you have to participate in it,” Mahoney said in a Time magazine article. “You have to make it come back.”