The Environmental Protection Agency's internal watchdog announced Tuesday that it will investigate the agency's response to the February 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, a decision driven by sustained pressure from local residents and Vice President JD Vance. The review will examine whether the EPA fulfilled its responsibilities in the aftermath of the worst rail disaster in over a decade, particularly regarding the accuracy and sufficiency of the data it used to assure the public that the area was safe.
Residents like Jami Wallace, who has tracked more than 80 local cancer diagnoses since the derailment, said the announcement brought tears. "It's like we've had to push them along the way for every single thing they did, and then they didn't even do it right," Wallace said. "We're not going to stop when you poison our kids." Wallace and others had earlier pressed the EPA to test for dioxins—cancer-causing compounds that can form when vinyl chloride burns—and have long questioned whether the agency's testing adequately captured the risks of the chemical cocktail released.
The disaster unfolded when a bearing failure sent 38 rail cars off the tracks, spilling and igniting a mix of hazardous substances. Three days later, officials decided to deliberately vent and burn vinyl chloride from five tank cars, producing a massive black plume that drifted across several states. The National Transportation Safety Board later determined that the "vent and burn" was unnecessary, though officials at the time feared the cars could explode.
The inspector general's office said it will determine whether the EPA had "sufficient data to support the agency's public communications" that residents could safely return home. Testing experts have questioned whether the EPA's data obscured risks, noting that health standards typically assess single chemicals rather than complex mixtures. The investigation will also consider complaints from whistleblowers and multiple resident submissions over the past two years.
This is not the first time federal watchdogs have scrutinized the EPA. The agency has faced criticism for its handling of other environmental emergencies, and the Hatch Act complaints against Trump officials highlight broader accountability concerns. The East Palestine review, however, is specifically focused on whether the EPA's science and messaging met its legal duties.
While the investigation offers a glimmer of hope to residents, Wallace acknowledged uncertainty about its outcome. "If nothing else, at least we're getting attention again," she said. "And people know that we're here and that we are not OK."
Meanwhile, the legal and financial fallout continues. Norfolk Southern agreed to a $600 million class action settlement with residents, but that money has been tied up in court disputes over the settlement administrator's handling of funds. A separate federal settlement, including a $15 million fine and $55 million for medical monitoring and groundwater testing, has languished without judicial approval for more than two years.
The railroad is also pursuing a proposed $85 billion merger with Union Pacific, which would create the nation's first transcontinental railroad. That deal faces a lengthy review by the Surface Transportation Board. As the investigation proceeds, East Palestine residents are bracing for more delays, even as they hope the watchdog's findings will force the EPA to acknowledge the full scope of the disaster's impact.
