Two years ago, a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio.
It unleashed devastating consequences for my family and our small town, with pollution that spread to 16 states and even parts of Canada. The night I saw the massive fireball from my driveway, after putting my two small children to bed, felt like an apocalyptic nightmare.
The derailment and chemical fire burned for days. Then, Norfolk Southern and its contractors reportedly withheld crucial information, leading incident command to make the unnecessary decision to drain and burn 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride — a known carcinogen linked to brain, liver, lung, and blood cancer, among others — according to a federal lawsuit.
The resulting ominous black cloud over Ohio and Pennsylvania was terrifying. Many residents quickly began experiencing symptoms such as headaches, nosebleeds, skin rashes and breathing problems.
These health issues haven’t completely gone away and some in our community are still suffering, with many living in fear of an eventual cancer diagnosis.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s comprehensive and rapid response to the disaster in East Palestine underscores its vital role in responding to disasters that have lasting impacts on public health, the economy, transportation systems and daily life.
It helped ensure that Norfolk Southern was accountable for their actions, leveraging every enforcement tool available under its purview and ensuring the polluter followed federal regulations. It directed the extensive clean-up, removing over 224,000 tons of contaminated soil and 74 million gallons of wastewater, and collecting over 115 million air monitoring data points.
The EPA served more than 1,200 visitors at its community welcome center, organized a cross-functional community group that provided regular updates and coordinated with federal, state and local partners to help restore my community. Many EPA employees spent more time stationed in East Palestine during the first year of cleanup than with their own families, demonstrating a deep sense of duty to the people they serve.
Was the EPA’s response perfect? No. But without the agency’s oversight, would Norfolk Southern have prioritized cost savings over public health and environmental safety? Sadly, I believe that answer is yes.
Even more sadly, the EPA, an organization that responds to some 30,000 environmental and human health disasters every year, is being decimated.
In just the first four months of the Trump administration’s second term, the EPA faces budget cuts of up to 55 percent and massive layoffs that will impact research, enforcement and emergency response. Programs that monitor air and water quality and toxic waste remediation are on the chopping block.
The EPA’s disaster response relies on adequate funding and specialized resources. Budget cuts would lead to slower mobilization, less effective assessments and an enforcement bottleneck. Reduced monitoring and testing would result in less accurate data, exposing Americans to unknown risks.
Inadequate cleanup efforts would leave communities with long-term health and economic issues. Without funding for community education and science initiatives, residents would lack the knowledge and tools to protect their health and environment.
Even more dangerous, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has completely gutted the agency’s mission. He initiated a formal reconsideration of the landmark endangerment finding, which offered scientific proof that six greenhouse gases were pollutants that jeopardize human health and welfare; proof that seemed irrefutable when the Supreme Court upheld the finding and the EPA was tasked with crafting and enforcing protections against greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, vehicles and other industrial sources.
More recently, Zeldin launched a website inviting the nation’s most toxic polluters, including coal plants, to apply for an exemption from nine hazardous air pollution rules. Just last month, Zeldin announced a plan to eliminate restrictions for toxic PFAs, carcinogens known as “forever chemicals,” in drinking water.
All of these actions are shortsighted and dangerous. This is a human issue that transcends politics, one that should spark meaningful change, but certainly not the kind of change that puts more lives at risk.
The U.S. spares no expense in protecting American citizens from external threats. Shouldn’t we apply the same level of commitment to defending against the harmful chemicals and pollutants released by coal-fired power plants and petrochemical companies, as well as domestic tragedies like the train derailments and toxic chemical spills that are still adversely affecting towns like mine?
On Feb. 3, 2023, it was East Palestine, Ohio, but it could be your city or town next. If the EPA is not fully funded, if these rollbacks continue unabated, who will be there to support your community and your families when an environmental disaster strikes?
We need to ensure the EPA has the necessary budget and structure to protect our environment and communities, because the health and safety of our nation depend on it.
Misti Allison is a resident of East Palestine, Ohio, and a member of Moms Clean Air Force.