CONTACT: Sasha Tenenbaum
Senior Manager, Media and Public Engagement
stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org
(917) 887-0146
WHAT: On Thursday, March 9 at 10 AM ET, parents from New Jersey and elsewhere will join Moms Clean Air Force organizers in Washington, DC, at the US Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works (EPW) hearing on the environmental and public health threats facing the East Palestine community in the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment and toxic chemical release.
WHO: A New Jersey Mom whose family has been impacted by chemical pollution is set to attend the hearing in-person will be available for interviews:
- Trisha Dello Iacono, our former Senior Legislative Manager, is a mother of four living in New Jersey. Her family was exposed to vinyl chloride when a similar train accident occurred near their home. Trisha’s son, now 12, still lives with the lingering health impacts of that exposure. Trisha says: “In 2012, our family became ill when a train derailed in a nearby town that was carrying 23,000 gallons of vinyl chloride, polluting the air we were breathing inside our home. To this day, we still live with the aftereffects of that disaster as my son continues to have lingering health impacts from this toxic chemical exposure. Children are especially vulnerable to the health impacts from toxic chemicals given their lungs and brains are still developing until early adulthood—which is why exposure can have harmful effects that can last a lifetime. What happened in East Palestine is a chilling reminder that communities continue to be at risk from extraordinarily toxic chemicals that move through our neighborhoods as part of an industry that is both underregulated and poorly monitored. Congress and government agencies must protect us with strong laws that prevent future chemical disasters. Our children deserve to have clean air to breathe.”
WHEN: Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 10:00 AM ET
WHERE: The hearing will take place at the 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Live video of the hearing and witness testimony will be available on the committee’s website.
RESOURCES:
- Statement: Moms speak out about Ohio train derailment, calling on EPA and government to protect communities from petrochemical pollution
- Fact Sheet: Petrochemical Pollution and Our Health
- Blog Post: Ohio Train Derailment Highlights Toxic Plastic Pollution
- Petition: Protect People From the Disastrous Petrochemical Industry