Hundreds of current and former East Palestine residents file new lawsuit: "We didn't ask for this."
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (KDKA) - As residents continue to wait for action in Washington D.C., hundreds of East Palestine, Ohio residents are gearing up for a new court battle.
A new lawsuit claims that Norfolk Southern and agencies at all levels of government failed the communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Three people involved in the lawsuit said they're still sick and they want some answers and accountability.
Chris Albright lives just three blocks away from the spot where a Norfolk Southern train derailed and caught fire two years ago, sending more than a million pounds of toxic chemicals into the soil, water, and air.
Albright, his wife, and kids were forced to leave and live in a hotel for four months, which depleted their savings. Albright was fired from his job and was diagnosed with a severe heart condition.
"I ended up getting congestive heart failure which turned into severe heart failure," he explained. "My heart actually doubled in size and was barely pumping any blood out. My wife ended up with high blood pressure. My one daughter gets nose bleeds, when I say nose bleeds, gushing, insane nose bleeds."
Albright is part of the new lawsuit that involves 744 current and former residents of East Palestine. It alleges that seven people have died in the aftermath.
The claims are against Norfolk Southern, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and county agencies, as well as other businesses involved in the investigation and cleanup.
"We didn't ask for this, we didn't," Albright said. "This was not my fault, I didn't do this. I was 100% healthy before that."
Christa Graves lives in Unity Township and she and her family cannot afford to leave, saying they're still suffering.
"We have a lot of health issues, I have had migraines almost every single day," Graves said. "For the first year, absolutely every day. A lot of stomach issues, acid reflux, and a lot of muscle cramps."
Jami Wallace and her family now live in a rental in East Liverpool, Ohio. She was forced to get six of her teeth pulled.
"I personally just got diagnosed with periodontal disease where my teeth are falling out," she said. "I've been diagnosed with asthma, never had it prior to the derailment, and I got diagnosed with hypothyroidism."
Many feel forgotten.
"They can never make me be whole again," Wallace said. "They can never make our environment whole again. What they took from me was beyond financial. They took my hometown from me."
We've reached out to Norfolk Southern about the new lawsuit and a spokesperson said they cannot comment.
Lawyers for the residents say this case is separate from pending classic action litigation, and not an appeal of that case.
