Latest news with #trainderailment
CNN
a day ago
- Health
- CNN
Two years after train derailment, NIH to commission longer-term health studies of East Palestine residents
The National Institutes of Health said Thursday that it will fund longer-term health studies of the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, after a 2023 train derailment that sent more than a million pounds of hazardous chemicals into the soil, water and air. The community has long asked the government to do more to help answer questions about the mental and physical effects of the disaster, which some people say they continue to struggle with more than two years later. The funding will be available through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. In 2024, under the Biden administration, the institute funded six two-year rapid-response projects to study different aspects of exposures and health problems after the disaster. Those projects were worth more than $1 million in total. The new grants will award up to $10 million for one to three projects over the next five years. Vice President JD Vance, who was a senator from Ohio when the derailment occurred, pushed for the funding, the NIH said. 'NIH is working to ensure that the people of East Palestine and the surrounding communities are listened to, cared for, and get the answers they deserve,' NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said in a news release. 'This multi-disciplinary research program will focus on public health tracking and surveillance of the community's health conditions to support health care decisions and preventive measures.' East Palestine resident Misti Allison, who ran for mayor after the disaster and campaigned for long-term health studies in the area, said she was pleasantly surprised by the announcement. She sits on the board of one of the current community health studies. 'This next level of funding will enable us to conduct comprehensive and high-impact studies that can truly make a difference in the area,' Allison said. She notes that the funding announcement mentions that the research will be co-developed with input from the community. 'This will really ensure that our concerns and needs are at the forefront,' she said. 'So that is really great.' More than two years after the disaster, there's been a surge in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, respiratory complaints and even some cancers, Allison said. Because cancers have many causes, however, it's difficult to tie those directly to chemical exposures from the derailment, she noted. Jessica Conard, whose son developed asthma a few months after breathing toxic fumes from the derailment, said the announcement brought 'a complicated mix of emotions.' 'We have had real symptoms now for 2½ years, and all we've received is gaslighting and dismissals from state, local and federal agencies,' Conard said. 'We still need an organized medical response, and this should have happened immediately after the disaster,' she said. 'This feels like a political afterthought. 'My hope is that this $10 million doesn't just fund another academic report that sits on the shelf without any actionable takeaways,' she said, 'We desperately need real medical support.' Allison said the community has advocated for an emergency declaration to activate special provisions for victims of environmental exposures that would enable residents to receive Medicare benefits to help pay for their ongoing health needs. 'These funds would be a lifeline for many families who are still grappling with health concerns and some economic hardship,' she said. Dr. Andrew Whelton, a civil and environmental engineer at Purdue University who helps communities assess the impacts of disasters, said the need for the funding is unfortunate. The government and community would have been better served if they'd made more money available up-front to prevent exposures to residents in the first place, he said, and inadequate indoor air testing allowed residents to be exposed to chemicals in their homes for months after the disaster. 'It's positive that there is funding to potentially help people investigate long-term health impact questions, but none of it would have been necessary if the right decisions were made and people in agencies didn't fail the public' in the first place, Whelton said. The NIH said it will accept applications for the East Palestine study grants until July 21.
CNN
a day ago
- Health
- CNN
Two years after train derailment, NIH to commission longer-term health studies of East Palestine residents
The National Institutes of Health said Thursday that it will fund longer-term health studies of the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, after a 2023 train derailment that sent more than a million pounds of hazardous chemicals into the soil, water and air. The community has long asked the government to do more to help answer questions about the mental and physical effects of the disaster, which some people say they continue to struggle with more than two years later. The funding will be available through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. In 2024, under the Biden administration, the institute funded six two-year rapid-response projects to study different aspects of exposures and health problems after the disaster. Those projects were worth more than $1 million in total. The new grants will award up to $10 million for one to three projects over the next five years. Vice President JD Vance, who was a senator from Ohio when the derailment occurred, pushed for the funding, the NIH said. 'NIH is working to ensure that the people of East Palestine and the surrounding communities are listened to, cared for, and get the answers they deserve,' NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said in a news release. 'This multi-disciplinary research program will focus on public health tracking and surveillance of the community's health conditions to support health care decisions and preventive measures.' East Palestine resident Misti Allison, who ran for mayor after the disaster and campaigned for long-term health studies in the area, said she was pleasantly surprised by the announcement. She sits on the board of one of the current community health studies. 'This next level of funding will enable us to conduct comprehensive and high-impact studies that can truly make a difference in the area,' Allison said. She notes that the funding announcement mentions that the research will be co-developed with input from the community. 'This will really ensure that our concerns and needs are at the forefront,' she said. 'So that is really great.' More than two years after the disaster, there's been a surge in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, respiratory complaints and even some cancers, Allison said. Because cancers have many causes, however, it's difficult to tie those directly to chemical exposures from the derailment, she noted. Jessica Conard, whose son developed asthma a few months after breathing toxic fumes from the derailment, said the announcement brought 'a complicated mix of emotions.' 'We have had real symptoms now for 2½ years, and all we've received is gaslighting and dismissals from state, local and federal agencies,' Conard said. 'We still need an organized medical response, and this should have happened immediately after the disaster,' she said. 'This feels like a political afterthought. 'My hope is that this $10 million doesn't just fund another academic report that sits on the shelf without any actionable takeaways,' she said, 'We desperately need real medical support.' Allison said the community has advocated for an emergency declaration to activate special provisions for victims of environmental exposures that would enable residents to receive Medicare benefits to help pay for their ongoing health needs. 'These funds would be a lifeline for many families who are still grappling with health concerns and some economic hardship,' she said. Dr. Andrew Whelton, a civil and environmental engineer at Purdue University who helps communities assess the impacts of disasters, said the need for the funding is unfortunate. The government and community would have been better served if they'd made more money available up-front to prevent exposures to residents in the first place, he said, and inadequate indoor air testing allowed residents to be exposed to chemicals in their homes for months after the disaster. 'It's positive that there is funding to potentially help people investigate long-term health impact questions, but none of it would have been necessary if the right decisions were made and people in agencies didn't fail the public' in the first place, Whelton said. The NIH said it will accept applications for the East Palestine study grants until July 21.
CBS News
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Delaware train derailment blocks road in Bear, New Castle County, police say
A train derailed Friday morning in Bear, Delaware, according to state police. Police said this was a Norfolk Southern train. Images from Chopper 3 showed multiple tanker cars leaning off the tracks. The cars were hauling petroleum crude oil. No spills or leaks occurred as a result of the derailment, state police said. The derailment occurred at Old Porter Road and the stopped train is blocking the roadway. It's not clear what caused the train to leave the tracks or if anyone was injured. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Community members frustrated over train derailment mess
HOUSTON - A train derailment in Houston last week caused a huge mess. Several community members are frustrated because the disastrous mess has not been cleaned up yet. "This took place on Thursday. Here we are on Monday. Nobody is here to check it out. To me, it shows lack of leadership in this community and shows lack of accountability on behalf of the Union Pacific," said Tiffany Parker, spokesperson for Culture Commission Advocacy Group. The backstory Union Pacific said last week nine empty train cars derailed in Fifth Ward near Lyons Avenue around 8:30 p.m. last Thursday. The company said there were no injuries and no releases. However. some people noticed unknown material under may have been inside one of the train cars. "If they were empty, why do you have content covered up? You can tell there was a spill, but we don't know what that spill is," said Kathy Blueford-Daniels, Community Member. "It's very unacceptable." "It's a beautiful community. They don't deserve this. It's like a third-world country," said Rob Slater, founder of Culture Commission Advocacy Group. "This wouldn't have happened in River Oaks or Upper Kirby. This is nonsense. I know it takes days and takes time to move, but at least block it off." The other side Union Pacific told FOX 26 on Monday there were actually seven derailed cars containing grain inside. They also said the incident is under investigation and cleanup is underway. Some people in the community are upset because the cars are still sitting there and want the mess gone. Union Pacific said they plan to begin cleanup this week. The Source FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann spoke with community members about what's going on.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Alaska Railroad work train derails north of Talkeetna with no injuries
Jun. 7—An Alaska Railroad train derailed north of Talkeetna early Friday morning with no injuries reported. Three crew members were aboard the work train at the time of the incident, according to a spokesperson for the railroad. The cause of the derailment was not immediately clear, they said. Catherine Clarke, an Alaska Railroad spokesperson, said the derailment led to a puncture on the derailed locomotive's 2,600-gallon diesel fuel tank. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is responding to the incident. "The damaged fuel tank has been secured and initial containment strategies put in place, as efforts continue to remediate the impacted site," Clarke said by email on Friday afternoon. Department of Environmental Conservation staff are coordinating with the railroad and other agencies on cleanup, officials said. In a situation report, DEC said Friday afternoon that the amount of fuel spilled "is unknown at this time." The derailment took place just after 3 a.m., approximately 22 miles north of Talkeetna on the Curry loop track — a section of the railroad that provides access to a quarry and is not accessible by road, Clarke said. The derailment occurred around 400 feet from the Susitna River. There are barriers between the fuel spill and river, DEC said. "The nearest culvert leading toward the river has been secured and blocked as a precautionary measure. No reports of impacts to surface water have been reported. No wildlife impacts have been observed," the agency said in its situation report. The Alaska Railroad typically transports around half a million passengers per year. The derailment was not expected to affect the railroad's main line, which operates trains between Fairbanks and Seward, Clarke said.
