That sense of uncertainty and abandonment has hung over East Palestine in the two weeks since the February 3 incident, in which dozens of freight cars—ten of which were transporting hazardous materials—derailed in a fiery crash. Residents were asked to evacuate the town days later to allow a controlled burn of vinyl chloride amid concerns the five cars transporting the cancer-causing chemical could explode. The evacuation order was lifted on February 8 and residents were
told that air tests had consistently shown “readings at points below safety screening levels for contaminants of concern.” But health concerns have nevertheless remained, driven by
reports of thousands of dead fish in waterways and expert
warnings that a full understanding of the environmental impacts would require a more robust investigation. “I just don’t trust anybody,” one resident
told the
New York Times.
The incident has led to calls for stronger action from local, state, and national lawmakers, and has made for some strange political bedfellows in the process. “East Palestine railroad derailment will have a significant negative impact on the health and wellbeing of the residents for decades and there is almost zero national media attention,” progressive Representative
Ilhan Omar wrote earlier this week. “We need Congressional inquiry and direct action from [
Pete Buttigieg] to address this tragedy.”
