On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed after a railcar's wheel bearing overheated, causing a fire. Three days later, officials conducted a "controlled release" of several tank cars that were filled with vinyl chloride, a toxic and flammable gas that can cause certain cancers, to prevent an explosion.

While visiting East Palestine two years after the train derailment, Vice President JD Vance shared a strong message that the community will not be left behind and will build back better.

It’s been two years since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, by the Pennsylvania border, and industrial chemicals contaminated the community, making hundreds of residents sick.