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After experiencing an explosive, disastrous train derailment in 2023, the rural town of East Palestine, Ohio, was seemingly an afterthought to officials under the previous administration.
With FEMA allegedly downplaying health risks associated with the 38-train-car spilling hazardous chemicals and igniting into an explosion, to Joe Biden neglecting to even visit the town until one year after the disaster, many residents felt they were “abandoned” by federal officials—particularly with the potential health impacts.
Now, after two years, things are ostensibly changing.
Under the direction of Vice President JD Vance, Ohio’s former senator, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the National Institute of Health (NIH) has allocated $10 million to assess and address the long-term health impacts of the train derailment.
The investigation is expected to last five years, according to their announcement.
“[East Palestine residents are] very worried about what are the long-term impact of these chemicals in the water, in the air. What effects does it have on their kids and grandkids after five years, 10 years, 15 years of exposure,” Vance said in the announcement that President Donald Trump posted Thursday to Truth Social.
He also explained that, despite his efforts as senator, the Biden administration “refused to do anything to actually study the effects of these long-term exposures on the people of East Palestine,” but that this would finally change.
Secretary Kennedy noted that, after the chemical explosion, residents of East Palestine “immediately began experiencing a range of initial health symptoms, including headaches, and respiratory, and skin, and eye irritations,” causing concerns from residents worried about their maternal and child health.
Kennedy then announced that the NIH has formally “launched a five-year, 10 million dollar research initiative to address health outcomes stemming from this calamity.”
“This is the first large-scale coordinated multi-year federal study focused specifically on the long-term health impacts of the East Palestine disaster,” said Kennedy.
“The program will support robust community engaged epidemiological research to understand the impacts of exposures on short and long-term injuries. It will also support public health tracking and surveillance to the community’s health conditions,” he added.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya further noted that “The NIH is working to ensure that the people of East Palestine and the surrounding communities are listened to, cared for, and they get the answers they deserve.”
“This multi-disciplinary research program will focus on public health tracking and surveillance of the community’s health conditions to support health care decisions and preventive measures,” said Bhattacharya.
A 38-car Norfolk Southern freight train transporting hazardous chemicals, including vinyl chloride, benzine residue, butyl acrylate, and many others, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2023.
The chemicals soon caught fire, according to the New York Post. While authorities attempted to limit the damage through a controlled burn, this caused an even bigger explosion, releasing hazardous materials into the town’s air, soil, and water.
The Biden administration’s response was also met with controversy, with Biden receiving criticism from East Palestine residents and Ohio officials. The state requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but the request was rejected by the agency.
However, when President Trump announced he would visit East Palestine amid FEMA’s absence, the agency announced hours later that they would be deploying a team to support the ongoing relief efforts, RSBN previously reported.
Amid this pushback from FEMA, Biden himself chose to visit Ukraine rather than visit East Palestine.
“That was the biggest slap in the face,” East Palestine’s Mayor Trent Conaway told Fox News. “That tells you right now he doesn’t care about us. He can send every agency he wants to, but I found out this morning that he was in Ukraine giving millions of dollars away to people over there and not to us…on President’s Day in our country, so I’m furious.”
Biden eventually visited East Palestine more than one year after the disaster.
Republicans, including then-Sen. JD Vance asked the Biden administration to study the long-term health effects of the train derailment disaster on residents.
The Biden administration then turned down their requests, saying they did not believe any efforts were necessary.
