Sherrod Brown visits clinic in East Palestine
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (WSYX) — U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown was in East Palestine on Tuesday to visit the temporary health clinic there and speak to community members and care providers about the community's needs in the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in early February.
The clinic opened in February at the First Church of Christ in the city following the derailment and is operated by The Ohio Department of Health, the Columbiana County Health Department, and the Community Action Agency of Columbiana County.
At the clinic, community members may have their vital signs checked, speak with a doctor or mental health professional, or get a referral.
Sen. Brown has previously visited East Palestine multiple times to respond to the needs of community members there and has been working with both political parties to bring resources to Ohioans and hold the rail company accountable.
Both he and Sen. J.D. Vance have called on federal agencies to make sure community members have access to medical care, and Norfolk Southern will pay for it.
While at the clinic, Sen. Brown was joined by health professionals who spoke on mental and physical health alike, and answered questions about resources and facilities across Columbiana County.
Officials said though it's been a considerable amount of time since the derailment, problems still continue and professionals are ready to address those problems.
Senator Brown also doubled down on his commitment to hold Norfolk Southern accountable following the incident.
"This is a Norfolk Southern responsibility," Sen. Brown said addressing the cleanup. "I'm going to insist they pay for it."
Though city water is considered clean by experts, experts say there are still creeks and natural water resources that are being decontaminated.
"We’re going to be here for months, for the next year, the next 10 years if that’s what it takes," Brown said.
Norfolk Southern's president and CEO Alan Shaw is expected to testify before Congress next week.
