EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Today marks six months since the toxic train derailment in East Palestine. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind for communities on both sides of the state line just trying to get back to normal.
“I would say the new normal is just always second-guessing and always questioning everything,” Misti Allison said. She’s raising her family in East Palestine.
“We only want to stay here if it’s safe. So, even six months in, that might seem like a long time if you don’t live in the area,” she said. “Six months isn’t really a lot of time to be able to see if this is going to have long-term impacts.”
Since the February 3rd derailment, she’s been vocal. She testified in Washington, D.C. back in March and wrote an op-ed for a national publication.
“I never once in a million years thought I would be in the middle of a chemical calamity, but here we are.”
Norfolk Southern marked the milestone by pledging half a million dollars to support economic development in East Palestine. Across the border in Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro announced a reimbursement of more than $500,000 to fix a damaged road. This comes a week after the township received more than $700,000 in relief.
Marcy Ford lives in Darlington but owns a farm in East Palestine. She says the last few months have been “stressful.” Her plan to sell her Darlington home and fulfill a lifelong dream of a farmhouse in East Palestine is on hold.
“We don’t know if we should even do that or sell everything and move away,” Ford said.
She wants to stay but knows not everyone does.
“Buy the houses of the people that want to leave. If you guys really want to come out of this looking good, pat on the back, do what needs to be done,” she said.
Both women told Channel 11 they’d like to see railway safety legislation passed by Congress.
We did reach out to Norfolk Southern and were told the company is committed to “making it right” in East Palestine. The company claims to have spent $65 million on community support so far.
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