Countdown of The Vindicator’s top 10 stories of 2023:

10 Eastgate Council of Governments seeks more than $140 million in grant funds to “transform” our Valley.

9 New commerce parks coming to North Jackson and Warren.

8 Municipal Court drama unfolds in Struthers.

7 Speed cameras were installed in school zones in Youngstown and then pulled.

6 Steve Kent convicted of felony, ousted as trustee.

5 Youngstown teachers’ strike delays start of school.

4 Mill Creek MetroParks’ plan to reduce deer population draws ire.

3 Ultium Cells in Lordstown has a big year.

2 Hiring of Bill Johnson as YSU president results in major fallout.

1. Norfolk-Southern train cars derail in East Palestine

EAST PALESTINE — Almost a year after the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train and the resulting chemical spill made international headlines, some residents say they feel no better off than they were shortly after the disaster upended the town.

Jami Wallace, president of Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment, is living in a rental unit in East Liverpool and said more should have been done by now to ensure the community is a safe place to live and work.

Wallace said she doesn’t know if she’ll ever return to the town where she grew up.

Forty-seven of her immediate family members lived in the evacuation zone at the time of the Feb. 3 derailment — some have left, some have stayed.

“People don’t want to leave — they want to be able to know it’s safe to live in their homes,” she said. “It’s not as easy as ‘just pick up and move.'”

Wallace, who worked as a human resources director before the derailment and holds a master’s degree in public affairs and a juris doctorate, said she’s looking for a job and wondering when — and if — life will get back to normal.

She said the group’s purpose is to advocate for and inform impacted residents.

In a recent press release, Norfolk Southern said it has given more than $20.7 million in direct financial assistance to affected families. Though the company has pledged to make things right, Wallace said the company’s recent decision to end temporary housing assistance — based on the completion of excavation and disposal of contaminated soil — shows otherwise.

“Honestly, nothing could ever make this right,” she said, explaining she feels abandoned by the government. “Awareness and prayers are the only things that will save us.”

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

A National Transportation Safety Board report found 38 rail cars derailed in the village shortly before 9 p.m. Feb. 3. Eleven tank cars were carrying combustible and flammable liquids and gas, including vinyl chloride.

A fire broke out, damaging an additional 12 cars that had not derailed, according to the report. Officials feared an explosion was imminent after the temperature in one car continued to rise, and a controlled burn was initiated Feb. 6.

That same day, a mandatory evacuation was issued for a 1-mile by 2-mile area near the village, including parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The railroad reimbursed displaced families for housing, food and gas during the evacuation, but some chose not to return because of safety and health concerns.

The railroad’s decision to end temporary relocation assistance drew criticism from Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who said the company has a duty to uphold its promises and “continue to address the housing burden” it caused.

Dr. Rick Tsai, a chiropractor who’s lived in the village for 30 years, has been documenting changes to the waterways near the village since the derailment.

He said the cleanup effort has been declared “a victory” but said he came away from a Christmas morning visit to a nearby park with a sore throat, mild headache and a bloody nose.

He said he was digging around in a creek bed and chemicals started to ooze out.

“It’s as bad as I’ve ever seen,” he said. “It’s disgusting.”

He believes the village should have been declared a Superfund site and said vinyl chloride, benzene and other chemicals are still present in many areas of the village.

Tsai said he and his wife, Tammy, plan to move onto property they own on Pine Lake.

Though he planned to retire soon, Tsai said the derailment has moved him in a new direction. He recently filed to run for U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson’s seat in Ohio’s 6th Congressional District.

Johnson is vacating his seat to become Youngstown State University’s next president.

“I never planned on going into politics,” Tsai said but explained he’s confident he’ll be able to advocate for residents of East Palestine and the rest of the district.

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has formed a legal group called East Palestine Justice to inform the community about environmental testing and pending legal action against the railroad company.

Brockovich, whose eponymously named movie starred Julia Roberts, gained national attention for building a case against utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric Co. over groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California in 1993.

The group, made up of attorneys, medical professionals and advocates, opened a permanent office at 319 N. Main St. in Columbiana and has hosted two meetings recently to update the community on legal and environmental issues.

Mayor Trent Conaway did not respond to inquiries for this story.

Village Manager Chad Martin said he and the mayor will work together closely in the coming months to rebuild the community and called Conaway “a great mayor, especially given everything that was thrust upon him.”

Despite what the community has been through, Martin said he believes the town is on an upward swing.

“I have a really good feeling about the future,” he added.

Martin, 53, was born and raised in Marietta and is renting a home in East Palestine while he tries to sell his house in West Virginia.

He was hired in November and said he’s up for “the challenge and the exciting possibilities for rebuilding” the community.

Martin received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1995 from Ohio University and a master’s degree in public administration in 2015.

“I’ve only been around for two months,” he said, but explained he’s able to bring a neutral and unbiased viewpoint to the table when it comes to village planning.

Martin said he will spend the majority of his time working on economic development and pursuing grants to benefit the village.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced in late December that 18 businesses in the village will benefit from over $3.3 million in forgivable loans to help with recovery.

The loans were approved through the Ohio Department of Development’s East Palestine Emergency Support Program and are to be used for payroll, employee benefits, utilities, rent or mortgage payments or to replace inventory lost to the derailment.

For-profit and nonprofit businesses within a 2-mile radius of East Palestine that operated on or before Dec. 1, 2022, are eligible to apply for additional loans.

Norfolk Southern also will foot the bill for renovations to the local park, expected to cost upwards of $25 million. Upgrades will include a new pool and parking lot, changes to the dog park and areas for tennis, basketball and pickleball.

Officials have said they hope to break ground in the early part of 2024, but that work could extend into 2027.

The company has said it will have a permanent presence in the community and bought the former Brittain Motors building on North Market Street to set up a field office.

In the days following the derailment, the company set up a family assistance center that now will be housed in the field office.

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