EAST PALESTINE — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Thursday a “multi-disciplinary, community-focused series of studies” to better understand the implications of the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment and chemical release on public health in East Palestine and surrounding communities. According to a HHS press release, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a $10 million research initiative to assess and address the long-term health outcomes stemming from the derailment at the urging of Vice President JD Vance and under the ...