Vice President JD Vance announced on Thursday that the Trump administration is launching a program aimed at studying the long-term health impacts of the chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio.
In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine. The train was carrying hazardous materials when it derailed and crashed. The train cars burned for days, releasing toxins into the air and spilling across the community.
Shortly after, residents in the area reported different health concerns, presumably as a result of the train derailment.
“What happened then is that people got very worried…they’re very worried about what are the long-term impacts of these chemicals in the water, in the air. What effect does it have on their kids and grandkids after five years, 10 years, 15 years of exposure?” Vance said in a video posted to X.
“As much as I tried as a United States senator to work with the Biden administration, they refused to do anything to actually study the effects of these long-term exposures on the people of East Palestine,” Vance added.
I'm proud to announce with @SecKennedy and @NIHDirector_Jay that the Trump Administration is launching a program to study long-term health effects of the chemical spill in East Palestine, OH and help residents access the care they need.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) June 19, 2025
East Palestine, we will never forget you. pic.twitter.com/zjJOnXZgoc
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. added that residents in East Palestine began experiencing a slew of health symptoms immediately after the train crash.
“The National Institute of Health (NIH) under my direction, has launched a five-year, $10 million research initiative to research health outcomes stemming from this calamity,” Kennedy said.
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