On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, about a quarter mile west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line. Of the 150 train cars, about 50 cars were affected by the derailment. The rest were uncoupled and removed from the scene. Twenty of the affected cars contained hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol, ethylhexyl acrylate, butyl acrylate and isobutylene. Some cars caught fire. Some cars spilled their loads into an adjacent ditch that feeds Sulphur Run, a stream that joins Leslie Run, which eventually empties into the Ohio River.
On September 20, 2023, President Biden issued Executive Order 14108 (Executive Order on Ensuring the People of East Palestine Are Protected Now and in the Future). Under the Order FEMA was designated the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator to oversee long-term recovery efforts in the affected communities and conduct a comprehensive assessment of unmet needs of the affected communities in recovering from the derailment beyond the cleanup work directed by EPA (Executive Order No. 14,108, 2023). FEMA provided technical and operational assistance to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), interagency partners, and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. At peak, FEMA had 70 staff members on the ground in East Palestine to support the effort.
To view the FEMA Press Release regarding FEMA’s role as Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator, visit Pursuant to President Biden's Executive Order, FEMA Designates Jim McPherson to Serve as Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator.
Learn More About the Derailment
Summary of Records Sought
Email communications, and any preliminary or final reports from FEMA to the White House on unmet needs findings and recommendations following the President’s order to assess unmet needs in East Palestine.
Released Records
These records represent a sample of the processed records released under this FOIA requests. To view the full set of records released under this request, visit FEMA FOIA Library | Homeland Security.
- Email: FDRC/County Health Commissioner.pdf
- Email: NIH Grants and USDA Fire House Relocation.pdf
- Email Reply: NIH Grants and USDA Fire House Relocation.pdf
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