WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ohio-based U.S. Senators, Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance, alongside Pennsylvania-based U.S. Senators, Bob Casey and John Fetterman are all calling on the National Institute of Health (NIS) to mobilize resources to help communities investigate the health effects of the East Palestine train derailment.

In a letter to NIH's Acting Director, Lawrence Tabak and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Director, Rick Woychik, the senators urged NIH to help assess and activate existing resources to respond to the health concerns of residents of East Palestine and its surrounding communities.

The letter reads in part:

"In our conversations with the residents of East Palestine and its surrounding communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, we repeatedly hear concerns about the potential impact of both acute and chronic exposure to the hazardous chemicals released in the train derailment."

"To help address the needs of our constituents and ensure a comprehensive investigation of the exposures and potential health impacts in the affected populations, we request that the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) assist the impacted communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania by helping conduct the needed health research investigations."

In March, these Senators introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2023, which if passed would improve rail safety protocols to prevent incidents like the East Palestine train derailment disaster from ever happening again.