EAST PALESTINE, Ohio—As a lifelong resident of East Palestine, which generations of his family have called home, Greg Mascher longs for the village he knew before Feb. 3, 2023.
“This town meant everything to me. It was a great place to live and raise a family. It was a great place to grow up,” Mascher told The Epoch Times on Jan. 31. “Most people even across Ohio couldn’t point to East Palestine on a map. I wish it could go back to the way it was but that’s not possible. Now, we have to wonder about an uncertain present and future.”
A youth basketball coach who is raising his granddaughters, Mascher’s house is a popular gathering spot where children play in the backyard and ride their bikes. He worries about their long-term safety because of the event that made East Palestine a household name.
Life in this village, located near the Ohio-Pennsylvania line, abruptly changed around 9 p.m. on Feb. 3, 2023. The crew of a Norfolk Southern Railway freight train carrying 151 cars saw smoke and fire, and realized that 38 cars had derailed. The flammable toxic chemicals in 11 derailed cars had ignited, with flames spreading to an additional 12 cars.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, nine cars were carrying hazardous materials in addition to the 11 derailed.
The hazardous chemicals, including vinyl chloride that was in some of the rail cars, began to spill onto the ground and into the air.
Vinyl chloride is used to make PVC pipes and other products. The National Cancer Institute notes that the toxic chemical has been linked to cancers of the brain, lungs, blood, lymphatic system, and liver.
Vinyl chloride creates carbon monoxide and hydrogen chloride when it burns. When the latter mixes with water, it generates hydrochloric acid, a corrosive substance that can burn the skin and eyes, and is toxic if inhaled.
Burning vinyl chloride also produces a small amount of phosgene gas, which was used as a chemical weapon on World War I battlefields.
They called it a “controlled burn,” but residents claim it was anything but controlled. A dark cloud of chemical-filled smoke could be seen for miles, and debris landed on properties several miles away.
The train cars were ruptured in the detonation, and spilled the rest of their contents into a drainage ditch connecting to Sulphur Run, a stream that flows through the heart of East Palestine.
Before the burn, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine urged residents to evacuate a one-by-two-mile area surrounding East Palestine—which included parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
DeWine described the urgent evacuation as a “matter of life and death.”
Three days later, DeWine held a press conference announcing that the evacuation order had been lifted and residents could return to their homes. Norfolk Southern trains resumed their routes through East Palestine, and federal and state officials said testing showed that the air and water were safe.
Two years later, fear and uncertainty remain. Officials from federal and state agencies have repeatedly said tests show that the air and water are safe in East Palestine and surrounding communities. Residents are still complaining about a toxic smell in the air, burning eyes, rashes, and headaches, among other health issues.
‘It’s Not Normal’
Before the disaster, East Palestine was a “united” town, Mr. Mascher said. Since then, it has become divided.
Some people are frustrated by the lack of transparency, delayed compensation, and lingering questions about the community’s safety. Others want to put the tragedy of the derailment behind them and focus on the future.
“This is not the town I remember. Many people who speak about the lack of action from the local, state, and federal government, and Norfolk Southern, are criticized and even shunned by people who want to forget this ever happened, and that’s sad,” Mascher said.
“Before Feb. 3, 2023, we weren’t concerned about all the trains that passed through town, we weren’t concerned about the water when we drink, cook, or take a shower. We weren’t concerned about breathing the air and taking our dog for a walk in the creek. Now, we’re worried about all of that. It doesn’t escape your mind,” Mascher said.
Diana Campbell, her husband Bo Campbell, and their two children talked to The Epoch Times while having breakfast at Sprinklz on Top, a diner in downtown East Palestine.
The village was once a frequent destination for the family. Bo’s mother lived in the community for years, and her house was a beloved gathering place for family and friends.
After the derailment, Bo’s mother eventually moved miles away to a country setting. She threw away most of her belongings, Bo said, because she was concerned they were contaminated. For weeks after the wreck, she was feeling sick from “chemical smells.”
The Campbells live in western Pennsylvania around seven miles from the crash site.
“On the surface, it seems normal here but it’s not normal. There’s a lot of uncertainty. There’s a lot we think of now that we didn’t before the derailment—like when there is a train coming down the tracks, when we take a shower, and when we take a walk along a creek or a stream. We shouldn’t have to wonder if those things are safe but this is the reality here now,” Campbell said.
Diana Campbell asked her son, Max, what he calls the water that pours from the faucet at home.
“Train water,” he responded.
The Campbells use a reverse osmosis system for their drinking water.
Battles Continue in Court
Last week, Norfolk Southern agreed on a $22 million settlement with East Palestine. This amount is in addition to the $13.5 million that the railroad company paid the village to upgrade its water treatment plant and replace fire and police equipment. Norfolk Southern has also committed $25 million for improvement at East Palestine’s municipal park.Norfolk Southern and East Palestine also agreed that a proposed $20 million regional safety training center in the village would not be built because of the costs associated with operating the facility.
The railroad company agreed to transfer the village the 15 acres it acquired for the center.
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway said at a press conference after the settlement was announced that the village council will determine how to spend the settlement award. He told reporters that he would like to see the funds used for economic growth.
Conaway said that he wants East Palestine to return to the way it was in the 1970s and 1980s when “it was thriving.”
“The derailment disrupted our lives,” he said. “We want to make sure the community is not defined by the derailment.”
A group of residents is challenging the settlement and asking a court to reject a judge’s order that they pay a $850,000 bond to continue their appeal for more compensation and additional contamination information about the disaster.
Around $300 million of the settlement is on hold because of the appeal.
Lawyers have not disclosed how many of the approximately 55,000 claims filed are for injuries and how many are for property damages. They have yet to report how much each person will receive.
Residents who lived within 10 miles of the disaster were eligible to receive as much as $25,000 per person as long as they surrendered the right to sue later if they develop cancer or another serious health condition.
The property damage portion offered a more generous payment of up to $70,000 per household for residents living within two miles of the crash. Payments decreased the further away people lived, up to 20 miles.
The payment of legal fees is certain. That amount is $162 million as part of the settlement approved by the judge. That figure will only change if the agreement is overturned on appeal.
In addition to the $600 million settlement, another agreement with the federal government is awaiting a judge’s approval.
Norfolk Southern did not admit to wrongdoing under either settlement.
A plethora of other legal matters regarding the train derailment and subsequent vent and burn are ongoing. Multiple businesses and government entities in the region have separate lawsuits pending against Norfolk Southern. The railroad company is still pursuing legal action against firms like the chemical manufacturer that produced the vinyl chloride and tank car owners in an effort to get them to share the cleanup costs.
Locals Look to New Leadership
On Feb. 3, Vice President JD Vance will join Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio Republican U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, and new U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in a visit to East Palestine.
Residents are hopeful that the Trump administration will be more reactive to helping the community in its ongoing response to the disaster.
Danielle Deal lives in New Waterford, within 10 miles of the crash scene. She has been among the outspoken residents who would like to see more tangible support from the government.
“Life has changed forever in this area because of what happened, it can’t go back to being the way that it used to be. The water is polluted. The chemicals are in the soil. It’s now just an everyday part of our life here,” Deal told The Epoch Times.
“We would like to see that actual help is coming. We want more than encouraging words. We want words supported by actions. Otherwise, what good is it that they are here? It might be good for the politicians but it’s not good for us unless we get the help we need,” she added.
Mascher would like to see Norfolk Southern “pay for the lost property value or give fair market value of homes from before the derailment.” He would like to move out of the area “to a place where my granddaughters can be safe” but financial limitations prevent him from relocating, he said.
“They can easily buy out anyone who wants to leave and give them some extra money to get settled wherever they decide. But they haven’t done that. They haven’t made it right—not even close,” he said.
“I’d like to see the Trump administration have FEMA declare this a disaster area and release federal funds and assistance,” he added.
Campbell would like to see a more significant investment to cover residents’ medical needs for the long term.
“People here are still getting sick. And who knows what will happen five years from now and 10 years from now. Will there be a rise in cancer and other health conditions? Studies need to be done, by groups not tied to Norfolk Southern in any way,” Campbell said.
“Hopefully, under the Trump administration, the EPA and the Department of Health and Human Services will do their job and make a sincere effort here to help people because things are not alright in East Palestine,” she said.
