East Palestine Residents Say Their Voices Are Silenced, Their Health Ignored

An NGO with ties to the Biden administration hand-selected the East Palestine moms who could speak at the Senate hearing, meet with President Biden, and speak with media outlets about the 2023 chemical disaster, according to independent testing expert and Government Accountability Project whistleblower client Scott Smith and residents in the village. Moms Clean Air Force (MCAF) is a 501c3 nonprofit and non-governmental organization with direct ties to the EPA and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

The organization has been outspoken about the East Palestine incident. However, it focuses primarily on policy changes rather than the ongoing health concerns of the residents who still can’t afford to relocate from their toxic homes. Several residents told The HighWire that they do not feel like their voices are being heard and their concerns are not being addressed.

Some residents have been outspoken about their severe health issues related to the “controlled burn” of vinyl chloride and a stew of other toxic chemicals, but they did not get the opportunity to be heard by prominent individuals within the EPA, Senate, or to meet with President Biden when he visited last year.

MCAF was created as a special Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) project in 2010. David Kieve was the Director of Public Engagement for the White House CEQ and has been the President of EDF Action since 2022. Kieve moved from a role in the Biden administration to the NGO that partners with federal government agencies. Kieve’s wife is Kate Bedingfield, who served as the White House Communications Director in the Biden administration.

On the week of the one-year anniversary of the train derailment, MCAF held the inaugural “Climate Disruption, Air Pollution, and Young Peoples’ Health event in Washington D.C. with EPA Administrator Michael Regan, CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory and Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation Chelsea Clinton as speakers. During her speech, Mallory said that MCAF is a valuable partner.

Resident Krissy Hylton said she was disappointed that Regan was invited to speak at the MCAF event because he never followed through on making sure Hylton’s home was tested. Hylton had her home tested by Norfolk Southern contractor CTEH and the EPA in 2023 and told the independent YouTube channel Status Coup that the numbers on the report did not match the numbers they had on their handheld devices. She received a call from Regan’s office the next day.

Regan came to Hylton’s home on February 16, 2023 and talked with her about the contamination. In the video, Regan said “The takeaway here is if you have this home tested for the air quality and then have the state come in and test your water, we can put that into motion so that you can get your family back. We definitely need to be sure that we have state, local, and federal government providing you with accurate information so that you can make the best decisions for your family.”

Hylton said she never heard from Regan again after that day despite his assurances that the EPA would personally test the air quality in her home and conduct a soil test. Hylton has been living with her senior parents in a lease that has been paid by Norfolk Southern for the last two years. Her home is still uninhabitable, but she has been informed that she must leave the current apartment before the end of the month unless she can pay the $4,000 monthly rental. Hylton has about three weeks to find a place to relocate and doesn’t know what she will do yet. Norfolk Southern has a “Value Assurance Program” in which they will reimburse residents for the difference between the sale price and market value. Hylton doesn’t feel okay selling a contaminated home to somebody, which will likely cause them adverse health effects.  

MCAF’s press release page contains over 20 press releases from last year applauding the EPA for regulatory actions. It includes two press releases commending President Biden for his visit to East Palestine one year after the toxic train derailment. The organization asked Biden’s EPA to “urgently address the big national issue of toxic chemicals in our everyday stuff.” The press releases and MCAF members’ statements only mention some milder health symptoms, including rashes and bloody noses.

Meanwhile, several residents have experienced severe health effects and/or know dozens of other people with severe side effects. Hylton told The HighWire that she knows of 60 people who have symptoms every time they’re in the area of the derailment. She knows four people who developed lung cancer, which developed quickly into stage four. She knows of one man who developed breast cancer in both breasts. Two people in their 50s were diagnosed with dementia, and one of those people also had brain tumors. Hilton also said a baby was born with no sinus cavities.

A lawsuit was filed last week by dog breeders in the area. The lawsuit alleges that the controlled burn of toxic chemicals after the train derailment caused 119 dog deaths and multiple defects, including a dog with two heads attached to one body. A lawsuit was filed yesterday involving seven wrongful deaths attributed to a toxic plume following the Norfolk Southern train derailment. More lawsuits are expected to come from groups of residents who opted out of the class action lawsuit settlement.

Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street are three of the top four largest stakeholders in Norfolk Southern, accounting for 19.3% of the company, which is a total value of $10.54 billion. An antitrust lawsuit was filed against these three investment firms by 11 Republican-led states for fixing energy prices. The lawsuit alleges the firms’ climate advocacy caused a decrease in coal production, which boosted energy prices. One of the main goals stated by the EDF and MCAF is to take action against climate change. Joe Biden was the largest recipient of campaign donations in 2020 for Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street.

According to lobbying disclosures, the American Chemistry Council spent $2.7 million on lobbying activities, including the nominations of Brenda Mallory and Michael Regan. A 2020 Norfolk Southern press release states, “As a voluntary participant in the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care® Partner Program since 1996, Norfolk Southern observes strict standards to identify, reduce, and manage safety risks in chemical transport. In August, Norfolk Southern joined the Operation Clean Sweep Pledge to eliminate plastic pollution, aiming for zero loss of plastic resin into the environment.”

The HighWire has reported about the alleged EPA coverup in East Palestine and mixed messaging campaigns from EPA and CDC officials that visited the town. Scott Smith has been going to disaster areas since the BP oil spill and described the EPA as the PR agency for Norfolk Southern.

Many residents have heavily criticized Mayor Trent Conaway for not mentioning the ongoing health issues people are experiencing. Former resident Jami Rae Wallace said, “Our village leaders have done absolutely nothing but lie…ignore our cries, and they’re the ones that get the photo op. The women they choose are not representative of our community.”

A press release from MCAF was released weeks before President Biden’s visit, which included a list of three moms who “live near the area” and are “available for interview[s].” These moms have been involved in several media interviews and a senate hearing and were the selected few to interact with President Biden during his visit.

“I do not feel, in my opinion, that all residents of Pa or OH that were impacted by the derailment and burn have had the chance to speak,” resident Christina Siceloff said.“Even when I have met with officials I have not been heard, listened to yes, but not heard. Those who have been heavily impacted physically and mentally have been left to feel ignored and shut out and pretty much been called crazy. Our symptoms have seemed to be acknowledged by many officials and agencies as ptsd or stress, and it just isn’t that. Though we have had ptsd, stress, and anxiety, it is not all that has caused our symptoms.”

As North Carolina continues to recover from Hurricane Helene and Los Angeles residents begin recovering from massive fire damage, East Palestine residents feel like they have been left behind. Checks from the class action have been deemed substantially inadequate to cover relocation expenses and ongoing health care costs.

“I feel like we’re just so forgotten,” Wallace said. “These nonprofits pretend like they care and they don’t care anymore than the rest of them. Once you get into working with these nonprofits, they turn just as bad as the people they were trying to protect you against. It’s all about politics and money.”

Vice President JD Vance visited East Palestine yesterday and pledged to clean the village quickly and implement health monitoring services. Vance said Norfolk Southern hasn’t been living up to its promises and that the Trump administration would ensure it does.

President Trump and I have never forgotten the people of East Palestine, and we will never stop fighting for the cleanup effort in this community to be completed.

We are with you for the long haul. pic.twitter.com/wg5vHmvDXM

— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) February 4, 2025

Residents spoke out online and on Status Coup to express their displeasure with Vance’s visit yesterday. The primary concern is that the existing serious health conditions residents are experiencing were not mentioned, and residents weren’t allowed to speak with the vice president, Governor Mike DeWine, or the two U.S. Senators for Ohio, Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted.

Vice President Vance was also asked if the Trump administration would declare a federal disaster. Vance said it is an “interesting question” and said he would speak with Governor DeWine and Lee Zeldin to determine if it makes sense. Vance said, “Because if the answer is yes, I’m going to take that message back to Washington. But the answer may well be no.”

While some residents have not had noticeable adverse health effects from the controlled burn of vinyl chloride and other toxic chemicals, the residents who spoke with The HighWire all agree that the response has been a complete failure at all levels of government. Two years later, there are still significant needs that aren’t being addressed.

“The very very least we deserve is health insurance and health insurance that covers the chemical testing,” Wallace said. “And then we need research money.”

“All I want for my family is a safe home,” Hylton said. “It’s not about a dollar amount on a lawsuit.”