Online petition demands disaster declaration in East Palestine

Jun 5, 2023

EAST PALESTINE — It has been four months since the Norfolk Southern train derailment and one month until Gov. Mike DeWine's extension to declare East Palestine and surrounding communities a disaster area expires.

The United Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment — a community oversight committee established by residents of communities impacted by the rail disaster ä are stepping up its efforts to pressure DeWine into doing just that. The council has created an online petition demanding DeWine declare an emergency in East Palestine. The petition states that the "residents still lack the basic assistance they need to survive" and that DeWine could "unlock resources from the federal government to give residents in all neighboring communities the financial relief and independent environmental testing that they desperately require" by declaring an emergency.

DeWine submitted a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in March requesting a 120-day extension to request for a major disaster declaration in the East Palestine train derailment. The deadline to declare an emergency expires on July 3.

To date, the petition online at only.one has garnered more than 3,300 signatures.

In other matters:

— The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report for a Norfolk Southern train derailment that occurred 20 miles from East Palestine in New Castle, Pa., last month. The report determined circumstances similar to the East Palestine derailment caused the crash in New Castle, citing an overheated wheel bearing as the likely culprit.

The investigation determined that an improperly installed hotbox detector prevented an alarm message from reaching the crew.

— Two independent health assessments to monitor and record the health impacts of the Norfolk Southern train derailment are being conducted.

University of Kentucky College of Public Health environmental scientist Erin Haynes has launched an online health tracking survey to learn more about the health symptoms and exposures residents face. The East Palestine Train Derailment Health Tracking Study survey is open to anyone 18 or older in Columbiana, Mahoning, Stark, Carroll and Jefferson counties in Ohio and residents of Beaver and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania and Hancock County in West Virginia. The survey can be accessed at cph.uky.edu/research/cares under the research menu.

The University of California at San Diego Golomb Research Group, headed by Beatrice Golomb, has launched the Uncovering the Health Impact of Toxin Release in East Palestine. The study seeks to determine whether a connection between the derailment and emergence of health issues exists through the gathering of information from residents. Participation will include an initial questionnaire and follow-up surveys to track. To participate or to learn more visit golombresearchgroup.org.

— The second of a two-part public health session conducted by the Region 5 Environmental Protection Agency will be held Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Way Station inside East Palestineás First United Presbyterian Church located at 109 Rebecca St.

Representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry as well as state and local health officials are expected to address growing health concerns related to the derailment.

Residents are encouraged to submit questions in advance for that session using EPA's East Palestine Train Derailment Local Area Resident Inquiry web form available online at epa.gov.

— The Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley will deliver 70 air purifiers to the First Church of Christ, located at 20 W. Martin St. in East Palestine, today at noon. Distribution will begin with families currently on a waiting list. The distribution will be ongoing throughout the week. The donation was made possible by Home Depot.

— Plant tissue samples taken within 5 miles of the train derailment by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio State University show no contamination of semi-volatile organic compounds.

The final results were released May 16. The results concur with soil tests taken in East Palestine and the surrounding areas by the federal EPA, Norfolk Southern contractors and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

— An East Palestine Legal Clinic hosted by River Valley Organizing will be held Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. at the First United Presbyterian Church of East Palestine located at 109 W. Rebecca St. Community Legal Aid advocates will be onsite to meet with residents and answer questions.

— Weekly support groups for residents impacted by the train derailment are ongoing through the end of June. The community support group meets on Mondays at 6 p.m. in the Community Room of the East Palestine Library located at 309 N. Market St.

The stress management group meets on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at First United Presbyterian Church located at 109 Rebecca St.

The meetings are the collaboration of the Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and are meant to help meet the mental health needs of the community.

— Residents in the 44413 ZIP code received Bulldog Bucks through postal mail this week from the East Palestine Revitalization organization.

The program, which is funded entirely by the nonprofit, provides village residents with a voucher for $10 which can be redeemed at any participating East Palestine business.

Organizers are hoping the coupon will catapult into additional local revenue and give shop owners a must-needed boost as the village steps out of the stigma of the derailment and back into the business of doing business.

— Residents with health concerns related to the train derailment are encouraged to visit the East Palestine Clinic at 139 N. Walnut St. The clinic is staffed with nurses, physicians and mental health providers. The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Same day appointments are available. To make an appointment, call (330) 383-6020.

The Community Action Agency of Columbiana County Mobile Unit is still making weekly stops in East Palestine. The unit is at the First Church of Christ, 20 W. Martin St. on Mondays for medical services and Wednesdays for counseling services. Residents must call ahead to make an appointment. Call (330) 424-5686 for medical appointments and (330) 386-7870 for counseling appointments.

— The EPA is asking East Palestine residents to not remove the dust mats that were placed over the inlets on the roadways around the East Palestine derailment site. The EPA reports the mats are being used âto keep particles, such as dust and dirt, out of the stormwater sewer systemã and are âhelping to protect water bodies and aquatic habitats.ã

— The Norfolk Southern Family Assistance Center and the EPA Welcome Center are open six days a week to assist residents and answer questions.

The Norfolk Southern Family Assistance Center has relocated to East Palestine at Rebecca's Place, located at 191 E. Rebecca St. The center's hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center will remain closed on Sundays. Residents can contact the center at (800) 230-7049 during the center's regular hours. Residents who are seeking assistance are asked to provide a driverás license or other government-issued identification, proof of residency (current utility bill), proof of dependency (minor child's birth certificate or Social Security card) and receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses.

The EPA Welcome Center, located at 25 N. Market St. is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The center is also closed on Sunday. The EPA information phone number has changed to (330) 775-6517.

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