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Prove your humanity


East Palestine

A sign reading

Many questions still remain one year after the Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2023.

The Allegheny Front has been covering this disaster since it first happened along with our partners at 90.5 WESA in Pittsburgh and Ideastream Public Media in Cleveland.

Our coverage of the anniversary is supported by the Fund for Investigative Journalism, with special thanks to Pete Carey, retired Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist with the Mercury News California, for his advice and guidance.

A sign reading "Welcome to East Palestine, Oho, Where you want to be" along a road

Episode for January 26, 2024

East Palestine, Ohio, is not the same place it was a year ago. Last February, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed there. Then, a few days later, vinyl chloride was intentionally vented from 5 railcars and burned, leading to an explosion. Over the next three weeks, we'll explore what happened and what the fallout has been for residents. First, we hear from a mother who evacuated the town with her son who was experiencing horrific symptoms, and why they didn't go back. We examine the decision by health officials not to test residents for chemical exposure. We'll also hear from a researcher who thinks environmental regulators were too hasty in their assessment that the town was safe. And finally, we visit businesses trying to keep their shops open, some more successfully than others.