EAST PALESTINE — Health experts are unveiling yet another step in studying the long-term effects of the February 2023 train derailment within East Palestine.

The East Palestine Train Derailment Health Research Program will hold a community meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2 at the auditorium in East Palestine High School, 360 W. Grant St.

The program team consists of the National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIH), University of Pittsburgh, University of Kentucky and Yale University.

The meeting will be open to the public; however, a recording of the meeting will be posted online for interested parties unable to attend.

The research study is open to anyone who lived within East Palestine or the surrounding area as well as responded to the derailment or cleanup efforts.

Anyone 8 to 17 years must have a parent or primary caregiver participate as well.

Participants will be asked to complete an annual health survey that will take approximately a half-hour for adults and 15 minutes for children to complete plus a clinic visit nearby. Additional brief health surveys might be required throughout the year,

Participants will receive up to $175 for being included in the study, including a $25 online gift survey for completing the health survey and between $100 and $10 for visiting the health clinic in East Palestine depending on the health measures completed.

The NIH agreed last summer to the five-year, $10 million research initiative, after a bipartisan group of U.S. House members, including Michael Rulli, R-Salem, introduced legislation to fund the study.

The research team keeps information secure and confidential, only shared with the public as group-level summary reports.

Dr. Erin Haynes is leading the health research on behalf of the University of Kentucky with Dr. Juliane Beier leading liver and thyroid function measurers on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh.

Earlier research from the University of Kentucky found that levels of dioxins, a group of toxic chemicals, were below or within the range of levels found during a national Centers for Disease Control study.

While in the CDC study, only 5 percent of the 1,000 people had detectable levels in their system. In East Palestine, 74 percent of the 19 people had.

Blood tests also found markers that could increase cardiopulmonary issues, cancer, diabetes and autoimmune disorders, Haynes explained in an October appearance in East Palestine about a smaller earlier study.

Additional side effects of the release reported included respiratory issues, headaches, fatigue and irregular menstrual cycles among women 18-45.

For more information, visit www.research.uky.edu/environmental/east-palestine-health-research