WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ohio and Pennsylvania Senators are calling on the National Institute of Health (NIH) to investigate health impacts in East Palestine.

According to the release, Senators Sherrod Brown, J.D. Vance, Bob Casey and John Fetterman sent a letter to the director of the NIH, asking the organization to help assess and activate existing resources to respond to the health concerns of people living in and around East Palestine.

The senators said they continue to hear concerns about the potential impact of acute and chronic exposure to the hazardous chemicals released by the Norfolk Southern train derailment.

The NIH has already mobilized its Disaster Response Research Program to the area to support the government's response.

In the letter, the senators requested more information on steps the NIH has taken to begin research efforts in the communities affected by the derailment and plume from the spilling and burning of chemicals.

They list scientific methodologies to best assess short and long-term health impacts, best practices for accessing human exposures and related health risks and the co-creation of a research strategy with community partners as issues.

The NIH has played a role in the research on health impacts after several environmental disasters including the BP Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill.