Senators Brown, Vance push to form voluntary disease registry for East Palestine residents

U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance are urging the Biden administration to call on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to monitor and ensure affordable treatment for the potential long-term health impacts of the train derailment.

They also urge the HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a voluntary disease registry for East Palestine residents and create a national registry of serious diseases and illnesses of persons exposed of toxic substances that would be voluntary also.

"We write to you today to urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to utilize its full authorities to continue to support the local community and monitor and ensure affordable treatment for the potential long-term health impacts of the train derailment, and to establish a voluntary disease registry for the residents of East Palestine," wrote the senators.

The registry would help monitor and address any health issues that may arise from the toxic chemicals the community was exposed to.

The senators say this comes from multiple request they have received from East Palestine residents calling for this sort of tracking due to concerns over the long-term health effects of toxic chemicals on the train.

This isn't the first time a registry has been proposed according to the senators, which include a registry created for Flint during its water crisis and the World Trade Center Health Registry.

"The residents of East Palestine deserve to know how this disaster has impacted their long-term health," the letter concludes.

You can read the full letter below: