Wednesday, February 5, 2025
2/5/2025
RESEARCH SUMMARY On February 3, 2023, a freight train derailed and caught fire in the town of East Palestine, Ohio. Of the derailed rail cars, ~20 of them were carrying hazardous materials, which were released into the air, soil, and water. Of further concern, a controlled release/burning of the remaining toxic chemicals was performed prompting officials to order an immediate mandatory evacuation of all residents. The evacuation order was lifted after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a statement that air quality was safe. However, residents remain concerned about safety, while others have reported symptoms including headaches and difficulty breathing, as well as odors in the home and in the community. At present, a systematic evaluation of the experiences, exposures, and health symptoms (including stress outcomes), of the residents of East Palestine and the surrounding area related to the train derailment disaster has not been conducted. Although multiple entities – including federal and state agencies, and academic research teams – have been collecting environmental and health data, community members are being bombarded with information and scientific data that is not being communicated effectively. Moreover, the community does not have a structured mechanism to provide their insight or recommendations for research. Thus, there is a clear need for a researcher network and mechanisms to engage the community and facilitate dissemination of research findings. This proposal will take the critical foundational steps toward launching longitudinal investigations of exposures and health impacts and ensuring effective and targeted communication of results to residents in the East Palestine community and surrounding populations. Given our longstanding community-engaged environmental health science research studies in nearby communities, we are strategically poised to accomplish the following specific aims. Aim 1: Examine experiences/concerns, health symptoms, psychosocial/traumatic stress, emotional well-being, trust networks, and environmental health literacy of residents of East Palestine and the surrounding area related to the train derailment disaster, as well as changes in these measures over time; and Aim 2: Enhance communication among the scientific research community, federal, state, and local agencies, and the East Palestine community. This time-sensitive and highly relevant study provides the first opportunity for community members to identify their research priorities based on their experiences/concerns and includes a health tracking study (via an online survey) to fully characterize and collect longitudinal measures of health symptoms, stress, and well-being of East Palestine residents. To inform best practices for future disaster response research, we will evaluate the impact of community-researcher interactions on building both trust and environmental health literacy over time. The proposed study will also establish a researcher network to enhance study methodology and inform research dissemination strategies.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).