Medical speech language pathologist Jessica Conard had recently bought her “forever home” and started a family in East Palestine, Ohio — a town where her roots run deep, with roads named after her family members. Then in February 2023 a train full of toxic chemicals derailed in her community, uprooting residents’ lives and setting her on an unexpected path of advocacy.
A year later, with Biden preparing to visit East Palestine, Conard is reflecting on the progress she and her fellow advocates have made — and the many changes they’re still waiting for.
Soon after the incident, Conard volunteered for the Unity Council for East Palestine Train Derailment. She has worked with Earthjustice and Beyond Plastics to raise awareness about the dangers of transporting toxic chemicals. Conard is now trying to petition the EPA to ban vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic chemical used in…
Read the full article originally published at earthjustice.org.