At long last: Three years after a train carrying dangerous petrochemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, the community finally has a federally funded long-term health research program, the East Palestine Train Derailment Health Research Study. This study will build on the findings of earlier data collection, including reports of respiratory, neurological, and potentially hormone-related issues in the local community.
The goal of this health research study, just getting underway, is identifying the long-term health consequences of the February 3, 2023, derailment and subsequent vent and burn of five tanker cars carrying over 115,000 gallons of vinyl chloride. Thousands of community members across the region were exposed to toxic fumes and were left to agonize over what the chemical exposure would mean for their family’s health, immediately and into the future.
Tell Congress: Protect Families From the Plastics and Petrochemical Industry
The study will look at both the people who responded to the disaster and those who live in the surrounding neighborhoods. “The public deserves to know if these exposures impacted their health. It’s also important because the information gained through research will help inform clinical health care providers and decision makers,” says Dr. Erin Haynes, Principal Investigator and Program Lead. Findings will be shared throughout the course of the study, which is currently funded for five years.
The program is a collaboration between a team of researchers from the University of Kentucky, the University of Pittsburgh, and Yale University specializing in environmental health, exposure science, and epidemiology. It is informed by a local Community Advisory Board, a Clinical and Public Health Taskforce, and a Scientific Advisory Board. The National Institutes of Health is providing $10 million to fund the program.
What East Palestine residents are saying
Public reaction has been positive. “As someone who is still displaced by this disaster and continues to live with complex and often unpredictable health impacts, this study is profoundly personal to me,” says Moms member Hilary Flint, who serves on the study’s Community Advisory Board. She adds, “For many of us, the uncertainty has been as painful as the symptoms themselves—wondering what this exposure means for our bodies, our futures, and our children. My hope is that this research does more than collect data—that it validates what families have been experiencing and provides the scientific foundation needed to secure long-term medical monitoring and publicly funded healthcare support for those affected. No family should be left carrying the physical, emotional, and financial burden of a disaster they did not cause.”
A ribbon-cutting event last month announced the opening of the East Palestine Train Derailment Health Research Program office. There, people chose to look ahead and not lament the derailment. “This moment is not about looking backward. It is about protecting the people who live here now and the generations who will grow up here. When we cut this ribbon today, we are opening a door to accountability, to knowledge, and to hope,” shared Misti Allison, Moms member and Chair of the program’s Community Advisory Board, at the gathering.
How they are measuring health impacts—and why it matters
Participation in the research study will include a survey. Based on answers, some participants will be invited to complete health testing. Participation is open to derailment first responders, anyone who participated in cleanup efforts, and people who live in East Palestine and the surrounding area, including in nearby Western Pennsylvania. Researchers are aware that the chemicals traveled well beyond the border of East Palestine.
The study’s researchers are also looking for participants who have lived in Cambridge, Ohio, or the surrounding area since 2023. Cambridge residents are the comparison community because they are similar to East Palestine residents but did not directly experience the train derailment. The role of Cambridge residents is very important for understanding the potential health impacts from the disaster.
Participants can be as young as eight years old. According to Dr. Haynes, “Children were also exposed to the chemicals related to the disaster, and this study will evaluate their health as well as their parents and other adults. Children are more susceptible to chemical exposure because of their lung size compared to their bodies and their developing brain and other organs.” A separate survey conducted by the University of Kentucky in spring of 2025 found that 73% of the children who completed the survey reported nose irritation, 63% reported coughing, and 51% reported headaches.
A study for the people, by the people
East Palestine Train Derailment Health Research Study findings will be shared through weekly email updates, periodic meetings, public summaries, updates to the media, a newsletter, and the study’s website, where people can also sign up to participate. The study’s Community Advisory Board and Clinical and Public Health Taskforce, both composed of local residents, will further help with additional communication.
It is clear that care has been taken to center the involvement of impacted people and families. According to Dr. Haynes, “Community members have informed our study design, helped identify what we should be including in the research study, and are informing how we share our findings.”
Misti feels that data alone does not reveal the full picture and understands that it is important for her neighbors to help steer the research. “The East Palestine Train Derailment Health Research Program is about more than data, it’s about people. Our community deserves answers, transparency, and a long-term commitment to understanding the health impacts of this disaster. I encourage anyone impacted—community members, children, first responders, and workers—to take part in this program. Your experience matters. Your voice matters. And your participation will help ensure we have the knowledge needed to care for families here and to protect communities across the country.”
Tell Congress: Protect Families From the Plastics and Petrochemical Industry