EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed here, dumping 38 cars on the ground, including 11 full of toxic chemicals. A massive fire lit up this small town. Over the objections of the company that made the chemicals, Norfolk Southern bosses bullied area authorities into believing that one of five tank cars carrying vinyl chloride was in danger of exploding. The decision was made to drain and burn 1.1 million pounds of the toxic gas. The resultant toxic smoke plume spread over 16 states.
Norfolk Southern immediately relaid tracks, getting trains running through East Palestine again. It took the mobilization of residents here confronting the rail bosses to force them to reverse course. The new tracks were torn up, and months of work began removing contaminated soil.
Many area residents experienced serious health difficulties. Some still have symptoms two years later. Chemicals detected from the fires are known to cause cancer.
Residents rallied here Feb. 3 to demand the new Trump administration take steps to provide for their long-term needs.
Aino Mahon, a lifelong resident of East Palestine, attended the rally. “We need guaranteed health care for life,” she told the Militant. “I had a rash for nine months. I want to leave, but my husband wants to stay. I won’t let my grandkids come to my house.”
“I live 1.1 miles from the wreck site,” Christa Graves said. “We evacuated. The whole thing was mismanaged. I called everyone I knew and urged them to leave. Then they released the evacuation order. No one knew that it wasn’t safe. I’m still having migraines.”
Vice President J.D. Vance visited the town that day. “President Trump just wanted to deliver a message that this community will not be forgotten, will not be left behind,” he told the press. “And we are in it for the long haul in East Palestine.”
Jami Wallace, organizer of the East Palestine Unity Council, said she’s disappointed Vance didn’t announce Washington was finally enacting a federal disaster declaration, which has been a central demand of the community. “He should have talked to the residents and the health experts.”
“Creeks are still contaminated. They are still finding pockets of soil contaminated with vinyl chloride at the wreck site,” she said.
Norfolk Southern ruled responsible
In June of 2023 the National Transportation Safety Board held a public hearing in East Palestine. Four rail unions participated — the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, SMART-TD, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, and the Transportation Communications Union/IAM, which represents carmen.
Jason Cox, from the TCU Carmen’s Division, described how the time allowed for union workers to conduct train inspections has been slashed. He said it used to be three minutes or more per car, but now they’re given only 30 seconds per side to inspect a car. The Norfolk Southern train that derailed here had a faulty wheel bearing.
The NTSB investigation report also determined that the “controlled burn” of vinyl chloride was unnecessary.
Another program on the disaster was held in Austintown, Ohio, Feb. 2. New Jersey toxicologist George Thomson described all the chemicals detected from the disaster and the health risks of each, primarily cancer.
“I live less than a half mile from the derailment site. Since then, I’ve had massive heart failure,” Chris Albright said. “Nothing in the last two years has changed. What happened in East Palestine will happen again. I don’t want to see anyone else go through what we are going through.”
Tony Lane, Socialist Workers Party candidate for mayor of Pittsburgh, told the meeting, “My party’s members spent time going door to door in the area after the crash. People would raise with us, ‘Where was the caboose?’ We say all trains should have a maximum of 50 cars and a crew of four — two on the head-end and two on the rear. Only with the unions fighting for workers control can trains be run safely for both the workers and the communities they pass through.”