WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators JD Vance (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and John Fetterman (D-PA) called on the National Institute of Health (NIH) to mobilize resources to help communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania investigate the short-term and long-term health impacts of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine. In a letter to Lawrence A. Tabak, Acting Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Rick Woychik, Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Senators Vance, Brown, Casey and Fetterman urged NIH to help assess and activate existing resources to respond to the health concerns of residents of East Palestine and the surrounding communities.
“In our conversations with residents of East Palestine and its surrounding communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, we repeatedly hear concerns about the potential impact of both acute and chronic exposure to the hazardous chemicals released in the train derailment. To help address the needs of our constituents and ensure a comprehensive investigation of the exposures and potential health impacts in the affected populations, we request that the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) assist the impacted communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania by helping conduct the needed health research investigations,” wrote the senators.
In March, the senators, along with Senators Rubio (R-FL) and Hawley (R-MO), introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2023 that will improve rail safety protocols and finally stand up to railroad company lobbyists so no other community has to deal with what East Palestine and others in Ohio, including residents of Springfield, Sandusky, and Steubenville, have dealt with.
Read more from the Cleveland Plain Dealer here.
A copy of the letter is available here or by clicking the image below:
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