BIG STEP — Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, said that Tuesday’s opening of the East Palestine Train Derailment Health Research Program’s office stands out as an important step in moving forward. -- Stephanie Ujhelyi

EAST PALESTINE — The third anniversary of the 2023 train disaster in this Northeastern Ohio village was marked with the grand opening of its new Train Derailment Health Research Team’s office inside the Way Station building.

The event included representatives from the National Institute of Environmental Health Science, the Ohio Department of Health, the University of Kentucky, the University of Pittsburgh, Yale University and mayors and municipal administrators from neighboring communities, including New Waterford and Columbiana.

NIH representative Dr. Kyle Walsh spoke about how he was relatively new to the derailment research team. He started in October, months after the NIH, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, had awarded the five-year, $10 million research initiative last summer.

Through the East Palestine Train Derailment Health Research Program office, researchers will engage directly with the community, coordinate studies and help enroll residents in federally supported research.

Three years ago, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine while carrying 38 railcars containing hazardous chemicals including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate and ethylene glycol. The crash resulted in prolonged fires and controlled burns that raised concerns regarding air quality — especially after locals started reporting adverse health symptoms, including headaches, respiratory trouble and skin conditions.

The program is designed to give residents clear, credible information about the 2023 disaster’s public health effects, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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

Walsh explained at the event that he had a unique interest in the train derailment, as he grew up less than 65 miles away in Gauge County.

Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, stated that Tuesday’s opening of the office stands out as a very important step in moving forward.

“The state of Ohio remains committed to this community,” he added.

East Palestine Village Manager Antonio Diaz-Guy stressed how important this research is to finding answers. Himself a lifelong resident, Diaz-Guy added, “Today is important because days like this forward the conversation. The village government also is committed to this,” although he acknowledged the research will take time to interpret.

East Liverpool City Hospital, which operates the health clinic in East Palestine where the majority of the follow-up health measures will be conducted, was represented by its chief executive officer, Stephanie Conn.

She affirmed her institution’s commitment toward assuring the health of area residents.

The team, which is led by University of Pittsburgh’s Dr. Erin Haynes, also was on hand. Haynes noted that in July, the team had been collecting samples for its research in the exact room that they were occupying, as she urged more people to sign up to participate in the study, even if they don’t have symptoms.

The research study is open to anyone who lived within East Palestine or the surrounding area as well as those who responded to the derailment or cleanup efforts. Anyone between the ages of 8 and 17 must have a parent or primary caregiver participate.

Participants can receive compensation for inclusion in the surveys and follow-up health measures.

The team also is studying liver and thyroid function as well as the impacts on the water quality.

For information, visit research.uky.edu/environmental/east-palestine-health-research.

Also in attendance were East Palestine councilmembers Lenny Glavan and Barb Herriott; Columbiana County Commissioners Tim Ginter and Mike Halleck; Columbiana Mayor Rick Noel and City Manager Lance Willard; and New Waterford Mayor Shane Patrone.

Misti Allison of the East Palestine Train Derailment Health Research Program led Tuesday’s event, that included a ribbon cutting.