NewsNation Live: CDC's lies still hurt years after East Palestine train derailment | Former resident

This NewsNation interview with Jess Conard, a mother and environmental advocate, highlights the ongoing health and environmental crises stemming from the Norfolk Southern train derailment. Sadly, her story is not unique, it echoes the experiences of countless families who continue to suffer in the aftermath of this negligence.

As a national trial attorney and founder of Just Well Law, Kristina Baehr has been listening to the voices of East Palestine residents. These voices that have too often been ignored or dismissed. 

The Price of Environmental Negligence

Jess Conard's decision to relocate her family from East Palestine, Ohio, due to health concerns is a testament to the severity of the situation. She reports recurring rashes and other unexplained health issues that began shortly after the derailment. Despite these symptoms, federal agencies like the CDC have advised healthcare providers not to attribute such conditions to chemical exposure from the derailment. This guidance effectively leaves residents without proper medical acknowledgment or treatment for their ailments.

Conard's experience is emblematic of a broader systemic failure. Residents report being told by doctors that their symptoms are unrelated to the derailment, despite the temporal and geographical proximity to the incident. This disconnect between patient experiences and medical responses calls attention to a critical gap in our public health system's ability to address environmental crisis.

Legal Action against Norfolk Southern, EPA and the CDC

At Just Well Law based in Austin, Texas, we represent over 740 clients in lawsuits against Norfolk Southern, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These cases include seven wrongful death claims, such as that of a man who died after mowing his lawn in East Palestine, potentially exposing himself to lingering toxins. 

Toxic torts attorney Kristina Baehr has stated, "You take someone’s respiratory problems and you throw toxins at them, it’s going to take them over the edge."

Our clients seek more than compensation, they demand accountability and systemic change. The class-action settlement reached with Norfolk Southern, which allocated a maximum of $70,000 per household for property damage and $25,000 per person for personal injuries, falls short of addressing the long-term health and environmental consequences faced by residents. With Norfolk Southern's revenue exceeding $12 billion in 2024, the settlement does little to deter future negligence. 

Governmental Accountability and the Need for Transparency

Our lawsuits also target the EPA and CDC for their inadequate responses to the derailment. The EPA's decision to allow Norfolk Southern to lead the cleanup efforts is akin to "allowing a criminal to collect DNA and fingerprints at his own crime scene." 

This lack of oversight has contributed to prolonged environmental contamination and health hazards. Similarly, the CDC's failure to ensure proper public health responses and medical support has left residents without the necessary resources to address their health concerns.

Our clients are not just seeking financial restitution, they are demanding transparency and systemic reform. They want to understand the full extent of the damage to their health and environment and to ensure that such a disaster does not recur. As attorney Kristina Baehr has emphasized, "Our clients want truth. They want transparency." 

In Febuary 2025, Vice-President and Ohio U.S. senator, J.D Vance, visited East Palestine. Vance declared, "You can be damn sure that over the next six months, you're gonna hear a lot from the vice president and president and the entire administration if Norfolk Southern doesn't keep these promises. We are going to talk about it and we are going to fight for it."

While no legislation has come into effect yet, Vance said East Palestine wouldn't be forgotten.

The Ongoing Environmental Impact

Recent academic studies indicate that the ecological damage from the derailment persists. Changes in water quality upstream and downstream of the accident site have been documented, suggesting that the environmental impact is both significant and ongoing. 

Despite this, a finalized consent decree from the EPA and Department of Justice regarding Norfolk Southern's remediation plan has yet to be determined. This delay hampers efforts to restore the environment and provide necessary medical monitoring for affected communities.

Community Resilience and Advocacy

In the face of institutional failures like this, residents have become advocates for their communities. Balancing personal health concerns and family responsibilities, they continue to push for recognition and justice. Their resilience shows the importance of community-driven advocacy in holding corporations and government agencies accountable.

Environmental Toxin Attorneys

The East Palestine train derailment is more than a localized incident, it is a national crisis that exposes the vulnerabilities in our environmental and public health systems. The experiences of residents like Jess Conard tell the story of the urgent need for reform, transparency, and accountability. 

At Just Well Law, we remain committed to representing those affected, advocating for systemic change, and ensuring that these types of negligence never happen.

Watch the story on NewsNation.

For more information, please visit Just Well Law's East Palestine page.