A billion-dollar company poisoned my home and destroyed my town
Ashley McCullom’s quiet, small-town life “changed in an instant” on the night of Feb. 3, 2023, when a Norfolk Southern “bomb train” derailed near her home in East Palestine, OH. The derailment, followed by the disastrous decision to “vent and burn” multiple carloads of hazardous chemicals, exposed residents in East Palestine and the surrounding area to toxins that have made them sick, poisoned their homes, and changed their community forever. While Norfolk Southern, politicians, and media pundits have all moved on from the East Palestine train derailment and chemical disaster, residents like McCullom are still dealing with the toxic fallout.Additional links/info:
Maximillian Alvarez, Steve Mellon, & Mike Balonek, The Real News Network, “Trainwreck in ‘Trump Country’: Partisan politics hasn’t helped East Palestine, OH (DOCUMENTARY)”
Credits:
Production: Maximillian Alvarez
Post-Production: Maximillian Alvarez, David Hebden
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.
WKYC Channel 3:
Breaking news from Columbiana County. East Palestine is now under an urgent mandatory evacuation order after a toxic train derailment
ABC News:
State of emergency in Ohio. After a train derailment and massive fire, some of the cars were carrying hazardous chemicals.
NBC News:
Some 2000 residents, nearly half of East Palestine still under evacuation orders. Visitors told to stay away.
PBS NewsHour:
For Ashley McCullum, the fear is warranted. She lived two blocks from the derailment site.
Ashley McCullom:
When I looked out, everything looked like it was on fire. The entire entire thing looked like it was going up in smoke in flames. I’m Ashley McCollum and this is my house. It’s pretty bad inside. I had multiple chemical testing done. I don’t go in without