Trump administration launches $10M health study for East Palestine residents after toxic spill

At the urging of Vice President JD Vance, the Trump administration is launching a new initiative to study the long-term health consequences for local residents in East Palestine, Ohio, after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed and spilled its contents. 

The Trump administration is putting up $10 million toward a five-year initiative that will, among other things, utilize "longitudinal epidemiological research" to better understand the short- and long-term health effects of exposure to hazardous chemicals, including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol and benzene residue. 

The initiative will also utilize public health tracking and surveillance and newly established communication channels between researchers, public officials and community stakeholders to support the initiative and develop solutions.

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Portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

"There was a terrible train crash, and then there was a controlled burn of toxic chemicals that went into the atmosphere," Vance said in a video announcement posted to social media, alongside HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya. 

"What happened then is that people got very worried. I've been to East Palestine a number of times, and they're very worried about what are the long-term impacts of these chemicals in the water, in the air. What effect does it have on their kids and grandkids after five years, 10 years, 15 years of exposure?" 

Vance pointed the finger at the former Biden administration, claiming it "refused to do anything" to study the long-term health effects of the train crash for the residents of East Palestine. 

Last month, communications uncovered through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request allegedly showed the Biden administration was aware of the serious health risks posed by the toxic spill despite reassuring the public there was no evidence of significant chemical contamination. 

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Former President Joe Biden has been lambasted by critics for not doing enough to ensure there were no lasting health effects for the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, after the small town faced a toxic train derailment in February 2023. (Getty Images)

"These documents confirm what East Palestine residents have feared: Government officials knew about the serious health risks posed by the derailment and controlled burn but deliberately kept this information from the community," said Lesley Pacey, senior environmental officer at the Government Accountability Project, which helped uncover the communications.

After the toxic spill in February 2023, residents began expressing fear after reporting headaches, respiratory illnesses and skin and eye irritation.

In April 2024, Norfolk Southern, the company operating the train that spilled chemicals in Northeastern Ohio, shelled out $600 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of East Palestine residents.

President Joe Biden tours the East Palestine Recovery Site Feb. 16, 2024, in East Palestine, Ohio. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

"As a senator, it was incredibly frustrating watching the Biden administration refuse to examine the potentially dangerous health impacts on the people of East Palestine following the train derailment," Vance added. "I'm proud that we finally have a new president that takes the concerns of everyday, working-class people seriously."

According to Bhattacharya, research for the initiative is expected to begin this fall.