train accidents

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has received $879,509 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support the mental health needs of East Palestine.

On Feb. 3, 2023, life in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio was turned upside-down by a train derailment that drew international attention. Six months later, remediation is still underway, and residents remain frustrated by the lack of accountability from Norfolk Southern.

Norfolk Southern has completed soil remediation under both tracks in East Palestine. The area was impacted by the train derailment in February.

The second day of the National Transportation Safety Board's investigative hearings on the East Palestine train derailment covered wheel bearings, wayside defect detectors and rail tank car safety.

The first day of the National Transportation Safety Board's investigative hearings into the East Palestine train derailment covered hazard communications, emergency responder preparedness and the decision to vent and burn the vinyl chloride in five tank cars.

East Palestine residents have expressed distrust in government agencies since the train derailment in February. However, with the National Transportation Safety Board in town for investigative hearings, residents are saying they trust the agency and appreciate its transparency.

Norfolk Southern is working on a master plan to renovate East Palestine City Park. The village's city council approved the revitalization plan this week.

Plant tissue samples taken from agricultural areas around East Palestine show no contamination from the train derailment in February. Some residents have questioned whether the list of compounds they were tested for was complete while experts said the tests are appropriate.

Three months aft the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, President and CEO Alan Shaw said the company isn't leaving the small town on the Pennsylvania border any time soon.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio State University collected and tested plant tissue samples from 16 agricultural areas in Columbiana County.