Residents near East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment express frustration at promises of aid
The footprints of Lonnie Miller's son are still imprinted in the cement of her garage, height measurements taken as he grew up are still marked on the walls. This was to be the family's forever home after all, in the village of East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border.
When a toxic train accident unfolded just 1,800 feet away, and a “black, chemical, mushroom cloud” engulfed the home, Miller's dream of growing old there was gone in an instant.
In front of Pennsylvania state senators Wednesday, she said that dark cloud will forever hang over her community, and her family will never feel safe at home again.
“My American dream, our American dream, and our forever homes are no more,” Miller said. “Where do we go from here?”
State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, hosted a hearing Wednesday at the Darlington Township Volunteer Fire Department in Beaver County to hear about the ongoing struggles of residents affected by the Feb. 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern train wreck. Members of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee listened to the testimony of the six-person panel, as they detailed the burdens the crash continues to load onto their lives over a year after the disaster.
“This is your chance to get your word out to the state and the nation,” Mastriano told residents.
Residents expressed frustration with the lack of accountability from Norfolk Southern and the slow response of governments on the federal, state and local level. Myriad health issues, including headaches, dizziness, chest pain, thyroid changes and tremors, still afflict residents to this day, they said, which they attribute to chemical exposure.
Last March, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw apologized before Congress and pledged millions of dollars to help East Palestine. He reiterated his promise to “make it right.” Mastriano called on Wednesday's panel to share if the company has made good on that promise. He added that Shaw declined to attend the hearing.
For Darlington resident Lori O'Connell, it will never be possible for Shaw to make it right.
“That was the most ludicrous statement that could have ever come out of the mouth of a person from the company,” she said. “You can't. You have taken away everything from us.”
She urged the committee to create long-term medical monitoring for residents and to enact stringent evacuation measures for future railroad and chemical accidents.
Sheila Stiegler, who runs a 2-acre farm in Lawrence County, questioned why officials made the controversial decision to vent and burn hazardous railcars, why the federal government failed to send the National Guard and other resources on the ground from the beginning and why Norfolk Southern was allowed to manage so many aspects of the cleanup.
Residents and lawmakers echoed the same concerns. Within days of the accident, Norfolk Southern began running trains through the village again, something Mastriano criticized as “heartless.”
Pennsylvania lawmakers have sounded the alarm on the chaotic response over the past year, introducing a slate of bipartisan bills aimed at assisting those affected by the derailment and other future disasters. Senate Bill 508, moved forward by the committee, would set up a fund to assist residents and business owners affected by the derailment.
The Senate also passed a bill that would establish a Western Pennsylvania-based Urban Search and Rescue task force to supplement Task Force One — located in the southeastern part of the commonwealth. Firefighters, engineers, medical professionals and emergency managers that have specialized training and equipment would provide emergency response capabilities during these kinds of disasters.
“Democrats and Republicans are united when it comes to these situations,” Mastriano said.
