It's been nearly 10 months since the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train and the subsequent “controlled release” and burnoff of toxic vinyl chloride changed life forever for the residents of East Palestine, Ohio. While the media, politicians, and the public have largely moved on, people living in and around East Palestine have been abandoned by Norfolk Southern, by their state and federal governments, and left to rot in the toxic fallout. We cannot forget about them. 

 

In September of this year, Max was invited to the Harvard Law School to participate in an all-day event titled "Storytelling for Justice—East Palestine," where he conducted a live Working People interview with Chris and Jessica Albright, two residents of East Palestine whose lives have been turned upside down by the derailment. After recording and publishing that live show, we've kept in touch with the Albrights as they and their family continue to do whatever they can to pick up the pieces after Norfolk Southern shattered the life they knew before Feb. 3. In this episode, we talk once again with Chris and Jessica about their lives before the derailment, and about the hell they've been living through ever since. 

Additional links/info below…

• GoFundMe: Help Albright Family Recover from Train Disaster
• Emily Baumgaertner, The New York Times, "One Family’s Toxic Train Wreck Ordeal: Illness, Exile and Debt"
• Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "The US Government Has Abandoned East Palestine"
• Maximillian Alvarez, "East Palestine Residents Still Need Help—the Labor Movement Should Be an Ally"
• Savage Joy Marie Mann, "My Full Recording of Meeting with Mark Durno of the East Palestine EPA"
• Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine Residents Still Need Help—the Labor Movement Should Be an Ally"
• Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine, 100 Days Later"
• Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine Residents Have Been Left Behind—and They're Running Out of Water"
• Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "East Palestine, Ohio: A Hell of Wall Street's Making"
• Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "'This Was Preventable': Railroad Workers Explain How Wall St. Caused the East Palestine Derailment"
• Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, "Rail Worker EXPOSES Ohio Disaster COVERUP"
• Mike L., The Real News Network, "A Carman's Perspective on the East Palestine Derailment and the Railroad Industry as a Whole"
• Al Jazeera English, "What’s Behind Train Derailments in the US? | Fault Lines Documentary"

Permanent links below...

• Working People Patreon page
• Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
• Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
• In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
• The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music... 

• Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song