NIH to Fund Long-Term Health Studies for East Palestine After Train Disaster

At the urging of Vice President JD Vance, under the leadership of U.S. Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a five-year, $10 million research initiative to assess and address the long-term health outcomes stemming from the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment involving 38 cars carrying hazardous chemicals—including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol, and benzene residue—resulted in prolonged fires and controlled burns in East Palestine. Following the derailment, several railcars burned for more than two days, and emergency responders conducted controlled burns which raised concerns about the airborne release of hydrogen chloride and phosgene.

Community members experienced and reported a range of initial health symptoms—including headaches as well as respiratory, skin, and eye irritations—prompting concern about broader long-term impacts on maternal and child health as well as psychological, immunological, respiratory, and cardiovascular effects.

The multi-disciplinary, community-focused series of studies that will focus on:

Longitudinal epidemiological research to understand the health impacts of exposures on short- and long-term health outcomes including relevant biological markers of risk.
Public health tracking and surveillance of the community’s health conditions to support health care decisions and preventive measures.
Extensive, well-coordinated, communications among researchers, study participants, community stakeholders, health care providers, government officials, and others to establish a comprehensive approach to address the affected communities’ health concerns.

Technical details, application information, and other background material to the public were released today. It is expected that a series of grants will be issued to analyze various types of studies and community activities. The deadline to submit research proposals is July 21. Research projects to start this fall. Learn more here.

–via Press Release

CSX Reopens Expanded Howard Street Tunnel Ahead of Schedule

CSX today announced the re-opening of the expanded Howard Street Tunnel, a historic and transformative $450+ million infrastructure project that will modernize freight rail transportation along the East Coast. The project marks a major milestone in the decades of effort by state, federal, and private partners to deliver a long-sought boost to Maryland’s economy and the nation’s supply chain.