Rally held for free healthcare in wake of EP derailment

LISBON -- It's been nearly six months since a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed, spilling toxic chemicals and leading to a controlled release of vinyl chloride over East Palestine, and some residents say they are still fighting for their lives. On Saturday, the Unity Council for the East Palestine Derailment -- an advocacy group comprised of representatives from all the communities impacted by the rail disaster -- held a rally in front of the Columbiana County Courthouse to demand a call for action in enacting Social Security Act 1881a, which provides free healthcare coverage for people exposed to environmental exposures.

"What's the medical bills going to look like in 10 years when we all get cancer?" East Palestine resident Timothea Deter asked. "What other added costs are we going to have as the health effects from this derailment? We don't know what these chemicals are going to do to us, but we do know that some of them are carcinogens. We Medicare because I don't know how an already-suffering community, who can barely afford their medical bills as it is, is going to afford the absorbent medical costs after we start to see the health effects from this toxic derailment."

The rally was a "March for Medicare for All" event organized by Joy Marie Mann, a healthcare activist from Harrisburg, Pa. While Mann's work focuses on free healthcare across the board, Saturday's rally was to draw attention to the fate of residents in and around East Palestine who contend they are already suffering health implications as a result of February's rail disaster. Those symptoms include persistent nosebleeds, headaches, rashes, eye irritation, respiratory and digestive difficulties and cognitive issues. Some have reported seizure-like episodes and rectal bleeding. Women have reported gynecological issues such as prolonged menstrual cycles and heavy menstrual flow. Aside from their physical wellbeing, residents say the disaster has taken a toll on their mental health.

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Cozza of East Palestine said the mental anguish is crippling, as she worries about her fate and the fate of her little sisters. She grew emotional when sharing her experience.

"I tested positive for the vinyl chloride and ever since I have been having trouble with anxiety and depression," Cozza said. "I am just so afraid for our future because cancer already runs high in our family."

Jessica Conard's family has called East Palestine home for generations. Since the derailment, she has been steadfast in her activism for her hometown, appearing on CNN in the days following the disaster and most recently as a guest columnist for Newsweek. At the rally, Conard read the op-ed she penned for the magazine which was published by Newsweek on Friday as an open letter to President Biden.

"Our bodies have suffered from nosebleeds, headaches, respiratory illness, intestinal irritability and eye irritation. Community members are now experiencing neurological symptoms and rectal bleeding -- enough for blood transfusions," Conard wrote. "If you take action now, you can save lives. If you delay, then people will die. We know the cancer clusters are coming. We deserve the same protections as the people of Libby, Montana, who are now all eligible for Medicare following one of the worst asbestos exposure incidents in history."

Social Security Act 1881a was established specifically for the residents in Libby, where 10 percent of the residents have been diagnosed with an illness related to naturally-occurring asbestos that was unearthed under the town of 4,000 during mining operations.

The policy is a little-known clause in the Affordable Care Act. When it was passed, the Medicare coverage for those in Libby was instantaneous with no wait or restrictions on what was paid into Medicare or an individual's age. Those living in Libby and in the surrounding towns of Whitefish and Kalispell were immediately eligible for free health care.

Christina Siceloff, a resident of Darlington, Pa., said like those in East Palestine, people in her community are suffering too. She reports that her five-year-old son, her father and herself have experienced symptoms. She said that medical intervention is not only necessary, but long overdue as the health fallouts from the chemical release extend beyond Ohio.

"We needed proper medical care in February. We need proper medical care today and we need proper medical care for those in the future. We need proper medical care not just for those who are sick now but for those who may also become sick later," Siceloff said. "We did not deserve to have our lives derailed on Feb. 3 and we do not deserve to have our lives derailed for the time we have left in this world. We do deserve to be treated like human beings and we deserve free Medicare for all."