Public Safety · East Palestine, OH
EPA Inspector General Opens Investigation Into East Palestine Derailment Response
The EPA Inspector General announced Tuesday an investigation into the agency's handling of the February 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, following years of pressure from residents and Vice President JD Vance. The review will assess whether the EPA fulfilled its responsibilities and had sufficient data to support public assurances that no toxic chemical levels lingered after the spill and controlled burn of vinyl chloride. Residents report more than 80 people in the area have developed cancer since the derailment, though direct links are difficult to prove. Related legal proceedings include a $600 million class action settlement with Norfolk Southern and a separate federal settlement involving a $15 million fine and $55 million for medical exams and groundwater testing.