A man takes photos as a black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern train, Feb. 6, 2023. After toxic chemicals were released into the air from a wrecked train in Ohio, evacuated residents remain in the dark about what toxic substances are lingering in their vacated neighborhoods while they await approval to return home. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

A council representing East Palestine residents is now urging Cincinnatians to vote “No” on Issue 22.

On Oct. 5, the Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment released an open letter, urging Cincinnati residents to vote no on the sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern in the Nov. 7 election.

According to the Council’s Facebook page, they represent the interests of East Palestine residents in addition to “residents of outlying areas that were impacted by the chemical bomb ignited over our village and miles beyond on Feb. 3, 2023.”

In the open letter, the Council noted that it stood “in solidarity” with the local Derail the Sale campaign. The Derail the Sale campaign is an organized group of Cincinnati citizens campaigning for “No” votes on Nov. 7, when Cincinnati voters will be asked to approve the CSR sale.

“There are no potential benefits from the sale of Cincinnati Southern Railway that outweigh the health of your families,” the Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment said in the open letter.

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The Council continued on in the letter, highlighting issues in the railway industry concerning worker benefits, reduced inspections and staffing, gross negligence in covering up contaminations and more.

The Council ended with the following plea to Cincinnati voters:

Do not make the same mistakes our community did and ignore the dangers associated with railways, the Council said. Open your eyes, look around you, research the facts to make an informed decision for your families health, your children’s health and the health of future generations. We never want another community to feel the earth shattering words of the CDC telling you that you all have had chemical exposure and they don’t know what to do about that BUT they do know how to treat the cancers it could cause in the future. No matter the benefits of the sale, your health and the health of your families is the most valuable thing you have. Once your health is gone, there are no second chances, so do the right thing now and vote “no” on issue 22 to protect your families and the families of your fellow Ohioans.

Issue 22 in a nutshell

This November, Cincinnati voters will decide whether or not to sell the CSR to Norfolk Southern in exchange for a $1.6 billion trust fund to shore up basic services for the city. The principal balance wouldn’t be touched, meaning the city estimates it would have an annual stream of cash ranging from $50 million to $70 million, which could only be spent on maintaining existing city facilities like roads, rec centers and fire stations.

But the proposed sale of the CSR comes at a time of heightened public awareness of the sins of its buyer, Norfolk Southern.

The push and pull between those who support and oppose the deal is largely rooted in safety concerns following the East Palestine train derailment caused by Norfolk Southern.

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The East Palestine in the room

A Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, a small Eastern Ohio village near the Pennsylvania border, on Feb. 3. The derailment ignited a chain of events that ended in a controlled burn of the train’s toxic load of chemicals, including butyl acrylate, vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and ethylhexyl acrylate. The chemicals are used in industrial processes including the production of lacquers, enamels, inks, adhesives, paint thinners and industrial cleaners, and plastic manufacturing. The colorless vinyl chloride has been associated with an increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers, according to the federal government’s National Cancer Institute.

A plume of thick black smoke from the burning chemicals soared above homes and waterways in East Palestine, painting a dark picture for the weeks to come. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) quickly took over managing the cleanup from Norfolk Southern, promising to hold the multi-billion-dollar rail giant accountable for the disaster, but surveys have suggested most Americans don’t believe the government has handled the fallout in East Palestine to this day.

Derail the Sale organizer Abby Friend told CityBeat in a previous interview that she visited East Palestine after the derailment, along with two other organizers.

“A group of us went and visited East Palestine in hopes to talk to neighbors there, see how we could be helpful, and we ended up joining a community meeting there where there was standing room only,” she said. “It was just really eye opening and terrifying and shocking and heartbreaking to see the residents of East Palestine being impacted and not having answers.”

Read the open letter from the Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment in full below:

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This article appears in Oct 4-17, 2023.

Ashley Moor is the editor-in-chief of CityBeat. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Ashley previously worked as a reporter for the Dayton Daily News and as the editor-in-chief of the now-defunct Dayton City...