EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Feb. 3, 2023.
It was the night everything changed in East Palestine.
A Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials was involved in a derailment late that Friday night, rocking the Columbiana County community near the Pennsylvania state line.
Three days later, the sky darkened as officials conducted a "controlled release" of chemicals from the derailment site amid concerns of a potential explosion.
East Palestine residents found themselves evacuated from their homes as headlines of "Toxic Ohio Train Derailment" captured national attention for weeks to come.
Questions about environmental impacts and potential health problems took center stage as cleanup efforts continued for months.
High-profile visitors arrived in East Palestine -- including former President Donald Trump.
"To the people of East Palestine and nearby communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, we have told you loud and clear you are not forgotten," he said.
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Famed activist Erin Brockovich came to the region more than once, participating in a town hall on Feb. 24.
"Meeting some wonderful people in East Palestine," she tweeted. "These folks need to be heard and they need to be leveled with."
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was also at the derailment site where he vowed support to those impacted by the disaster.
“Before, during and after the national attention, they’re going to have support," Buttigieg said. "They’re going to have support from us when it comes to holding Norfolk Southern accountable. They’re going to have support from the EPA when it comes to making sure they get accurate information about the safety of their air, water and soil. I think they ought to have support from the whole country that has seen what they’ve been through. … The point is to make sure they’re taken care of for the long run.”
While President Biden has not yet visited East Palestine since the derailment, the White House announced on Jan. 31 that he would be coming to visit with residents impacted by the derailment at a yet-to-be-announced date in February.
In the weeks that followed the derailment, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw was called to testify before multiple committees -- including at the United States Senate.
"I am terribly sorry for the impact that this has had on the community," Shaw said during one hearing on March 22. "I know that it has been traumatic, I was there during the vent and burn. I saw the plume, and I know what it looked like," said Shaw. "There is ongoing testing by the EPA, Ohio EPA and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protections and they all show the water and air is safe to breathe."
As cleanup efforts continued to remove the toxic soil, a health clinic opened in East Palestine for residents to address their concerns.
"The new clinic will offer the same services as the former clinic, but will also provide traditional comprehensive primary care, including treatment, prescriptions, lab testing and consultation with specialists where appropriate," according to a press release from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's office. "Physicians, registered nurses and mental health specialists will be on hand to provide services. The clinic is a chance for residents to discuss health concerns and receive a health assessment. Referrals will be made if needed."
Then, just one day before Halloween -- nearly nine months after the derailment -- Norfolk Southern declared the last of the contaminated soil had been removed.
But the work isn't done yet...
Now that one year has come since the derailment, monitoring continues in the region. Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel said crews are working to keep the air and water safe.
“The work to backfill the big holes that we dug to remove the soil, that work is going on," Vogel recently said during a January press conference. "The work to make sure that the contamination is out of the streams. That continues. That work is going on as we speak.”
Vogel said the Ohio EPA will be in East Palestine for the long-term.
And that's not all.
3News’ Lynna Lai spoke with Gov. DeWine on Jan. 29 as he spoke about the one-year mark of the derailment. Here's part of their exchange:
- Lai: "What do you say to parents who are genuinely worried about their kids becoming sick some day in the long-term?"
- Gov. DeWine: “We’ve provided a clinic to monitor these children and their family members. They should continue to have these children checked and their family members. People are going to have concerns. Again, we’re going to monitor the water, we’re going to monitor the air, we’re going to monitor anything else that we think might be problematic.”
RELATED: One year later: East Palestine chiropractor running for Congress following toxic train derailment
Gov. DeWine also shared the following message on YouTube to discuss the progress and future monitoring plans for East Palestine (watch below):
One thing I promised the people of East Palestine is that we will continue to be there with them in the days, weeks and months following the train derailment. That we will continue to help and we will continue to monitor. That’s exactly what we are doing one year later.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency continues to do weekly water sampling and air sampling. To date, more than 175,000 tons of soil have been removed and more soil samples will be collected and tested this year.
Plant tissues collected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture last spring showed no contamination from the train derailment to area farms. We’ll continue to be a resource for local farmers.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is monitoring local waterways, and so far has seen no significant long-term impact on fish and wildlife.
The Ohio Department of Health is still engaging with residents to monitor their health after opening a clinic there and working with a local partner to open a clinic in East Palestine that people can access.
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has helped to provide mental health support with local partners. A new community care center will open this spring, and we hope will serve the community for many, many years to come.
We’ve helped local business owners who have struggled through this past year and helped them with some Ohio Department of Development forgivable loans.
The people of East Palestine are resilient. I promised the people there that we would be by their side. I meant it. We will continue to support them as long as it takes.
See more videos on East Palestine as we mark one year since the derailment...
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READ THE STORY: One year later: East Palestine chiropractor running for Congress following toxic train derailment
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