DARLINGTON, Pa. — As we mark one year since the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, some residents say they are feeling the impacts and their lives have changes dramatically.
The Norfolk Southern train went off the tracks on Feb. 3rd, 2023, at 8:55 p.m. After the crash, thousands of hazardous chemicals were spilled into the village’s soil and water and a controlled burn followed. News of the Norfolk Southern train derailment traveled fast in this tight knit area – and so did the smoke.
Wayne and Lori O’Connell live right over the border in Darlington, Pennsylvania.
“I didn’t think nothing of it. We didn’t think anything of chemicals or anything like that was involved,” said Wayne. “When they lit all of those chemicals on fire, what does it make when all of these chemicals mix together? No one can tell you.”
That is until Wayne realized thousands of gallons of chemicals had spilled into the air and the wind was pushing the plumes northeast and directly over his house, just about ten minutes from the crash site.
“We just prayed nobody got hurt, but this all tells us a lot of people got hurt. A lot of people,” said Wayne. “I got breast cancer.”
In May, Wayne says he noticed a lump. A biopsy followed, then four weeks of chemotherapy, and then a double mastectomy.
"I don't believe there are [any] coincidences. I don't believe in coincidences, no," Lori tells us. "I know what happened. You are not going to get a doctor to say it. You aren’t going to get any medical professional who will ever, ever admit that that’s what caused it, but we know. Not a shadow of a doubt in my mind.
"We used to have squirrels — like, major amounts of squirrels — on our property. They disappeared — gone. We live in an old farm house. We used to have a lot of mice — no mice. Traps are set and we haven’t caught anything. It really makes you wonder."
After the derailment, they were drinking the water from their well. Norfolk Southern tested it and said it was okay, but Lori says she started getting headaches and her lips went numb.
They now only drink bottled water for fear of chemicals — all around them.
“I’m not inviting anyone in to stay with us because I’m afraid this is in our insulation. We have an air monitor upstairs that we got from one of the studies. It shows volatile chemicals — it goes up and down and you just, you don’t know what to do,” said Lori.
Doctors have not linked Wayne’s breast cancer diagnosis to the train derailment. However, the O’Connell family says they will fight for what they believe to be true.
More East Palestine coverage:
- President Biden to visit East Palestine 1 year after toxic Ohio train derailment
- Ohio train derailment: East Palestine 1 year later
- One year later: East Palestine chiropractor running for Congress following toxic train derailment
- 'We will get the votes': US Sen. Sherrod Brown addresses push for Rail Safety Act nearly 1 year after Ohio train derailment in East Palestine