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Brown Visits East Palestine Health Clinic, Hears from Local Health Workers

Government and Politics

March 21, 2023


STEUBENVILLE – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) visited the temporary health clinic in East Palestine to hear from residents about their ongoing needs as they deal with the aftermath of the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in February.

“It shouldn’t take a crisis like this for elected officials to put partisanship aside and work together for the people we serve, and not for corporations like Norfolk Southern,” said Brown. “This is the kind of community that’s so often forgotten or exploited by corporate America. I’m here for the long haul. We’re going to be here for months, for the next year, the next 10 years if that’s what it takes.”

The health assessment clinic opened in February in response to the derailment. Residents can have their vital signs checked, speak with a doctor or mental health professional or get a referral. The clinic received $250,000 in federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration. It is operated in partnership by the Ohio Department of Health, the Columbiana County Health Department and the Community Action Agency of Columbiana County.

“It’s always great when we work alongside some of our fellow county agencies, like the county health district and the Mental Health and Recovery Board to help our communities throughout the year, but this health assessment clinic in East Palestine is unprecedented, and CAACC is very happy to be able to help these residents affected get the care and attention they need to help them through this crisis and begin an appropriate course of treatment,” said Thomas Andrews, Community Action Agency of Columbiana County, Inc.(CAACC’s) CEO. “It’s very reassuring our efforts are being recognized as Senator Brown has taken time out of his busy schedule to visit and see the health assessment clinic first-hand.”

Brown is working with members of both parties to secure resources for Ohioans and to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for cleaning up the community. Brown has been to East Palestine multiple times to meet with Ohioans and respond to their needs.

Brown and U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) have called on Administrator Michael Regan of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Director Rochelle Walensky of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure Ohioans affected by the Norfolk Southern train derailment have access to baseline medical testing, and that Norfolk Southern pays for it.

Brown also led a bipartisan group of colleagues, including Vance to introduce his Railway Safety Act of 2023 that will improve rail safety protocols, finally standing up to railroad company lobbyists so no other community has to deal with what East Palestine and others in Ohio, including residents of Springfield, Sandusky and Steubenville, have dealt with.

Last week, Brown, along with Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) introduced the Assistance for Local Heroes During Train Crises Act to support first responders on the front lines of hazardous train derailments. In East Palestine, Ohio and Darlington, Pennsylvania, local emergency responders, firefighters, and law enforcement risked their own wellbeing to protect their communities in the aftermath of Norfolk Southern’s disaster. This new legislation would create a new fund—paid for by companies that ship and carry these materials—to provide emergency responders, firefighters, and law enforcement with the financial resources needed to replace equipment, pay workers overtime, and address other urgent costs as well as compel railroads to notify local officials and emergency response groups when hazardous materials are moving through their communities.