NIH opens East Palestine office to study long-term health effects of Ohio train derailment

The National Institutes of Health opened an office Tuesday in East Palestine, Ohio, to study the long-term health effects of the 2023 toxic train derailment, which caused a major environmental disaster that impacted thousands of residents in the surrounding area.

A Norfolk Southern train transporting the toxic chemical, vinyl chloride, unexpectedly derailed three years ago, after a hot railcar wheel bearing sparked a fire. The derailment forced 38 train cars off the tracks, 11 of which were carrying the hazardous material. 

The NIH, which is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, said it has opened the East Palestine Train Derailment Health Research Program Office, which will be the hub of a five-year, $10 million research initiative funded by NIH.

“NIH’s research hub offers the people of East Palestine a pathway to clear answers about their health they deserve,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in a statement. “Everyone affected by this environmental disaster deserves access to independent, gold-standard science that puts their well-being first.”

The agency said experts will engage directly with the community, coordinate studies, and help enroll East Palestine residents in federally supported health research through the new office.

The study comes after residents reported headaches and respiratory issues in the aftermath of the derailment, along with skin and eye irritation. 

The NIH office comes after the Ohio Department of Health opened its own health clinic in East Palestine shortly after the derailment to assist those harmed by the toxic chemicals.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.