Editing East Palestine, Ohio (section)

==History==
[[File:East_Palestine,_Ohio_Post_Office.jpg|thumb|left|The East Palestine Post Office was built in 1937 as part of the [[New Deal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://livingnewdeal.org/locations/post-office-east-palestine-oh/ |publisher=The Living New Deal |title=Post Office – East Palestine OH |access-date=April 27, 2022 }}</ref>]]
East Palestine was platted in 1828 by Thomas McCalla and William Grate, initially known as Mechanicsburg.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbianacounty.org/history |title=History |publisher=Columbiana County |access-date=March 22, 2023 }}</ref> In 1833, it was renamed after the [[Middle East]]ern region of [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ONQyAQAAMAAJ | title=History of Columbiana County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens | publisher=Biographical Publishing Company | author=McCord, William B. | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ONQyAQAAMAAJ/page/n319 330]–331}}</ref> The name was changed as part of a religious nomenclature in the area, including communities such as [[Enon Valley, Pennsylvania|Enon Valley]], [[Medina, Ohio|Medina]], [[New Galilee, Pennsylvania|New Galilee]] and [[Salem, Ohio|Salem]]. However, [[Palestine, Ohio]], was already an incorporated community in the western part of the state, so the town was incorporated as East Palestine in 1875.<ref>{{cite book|last=Overman|first=William Daniel|title=Ohio Town Names|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015015361465;view=1up;seq=57|year=1958|publisher=Atlantic Press|location=Akron, OH|page=41}}</ref> Having reached a population of 5,000, East Palestine operated as a statutory city from 1920 until 2011 when it reverted to village status because of declining population.

By the 1920s, railroad facilities of the city consisted of the four-track [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] system. Switches from the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Pittsburgh, Lisbon and Western Railroad|Pittsburgh, Lisbon, and Western Railroad]] within one mile of the corporation limits connected with the [[Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad]] and [[New York Central Railroad]]. The city's leading industries were the manufacture of [[pottery]] by the [[W. S. George Pottery Company]] and automobile [[tires]] by the Edwin C. McGraw Tire Company. However, factories also existed that produced steel tanks, [[foundry]] work, electrical refractories, food products, electric wiring devices, wooden [[ventilators]], fireproofing material, [[synthetic ice]], and [[lumber]]. Around this time, East Palestine began to start an economy in [[orcharding]], which still survives today. Large storage and preserving facilities made East Palestine the leading city for orchards in the area.<ref>{{cite book|last=Barth|first=Harold B.|title=History of Columbiana County, Ohio|url=http://history.rays-place.com/oh/col-ep.htm|year=1926|publisher=Historical Publishing Company|location=Indianapolis, IN}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

East Palestine became a qualified [[Tree City USA]] as recognized by the [[National Arbor Day Foundation]] in 2004.<ref>"Tree Cities Ohio" [https://www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/treecities.cfm?chosenstate=Ohio]. " ''Arbor Day Foundation'' accessed September 18, 2020.</ref>

Beginning in October 2022, the East Palestine Fire Department began rolling out a new emergency response system based on the "MyID" [[Digital identity|digital health identity]] platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sess |first=Dave |date=October 17, 2022 |title=East Palestine switching to 'MyID' emergency service |url=https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/east-palestine-switching-to-myid-emergency-service/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307185306/https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/east-palestine-switching-to-myid-emergency-service/ |archive-date=March 7, 2023 |access-date=July 19, 2023 |website=WKBN |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Katie |date=October 15, 2022 |title=East Palestine FD introduces ID program |url=https://www.morningjournalnews.com/news/local-news/2022/10/east-palestine-fd-introduces-id-program/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230215170153/https://www.morningjournalnews.com/news/local-news/2022/10/east-palestine-fd-introduces-id-program/ |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |access-date=July 19, 2023 |website=Morning Journal News |language=en-US}}</ref> A community information session was held on January 29, 2023, with 60 participants signed up for the program.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rogers |first=Janet |date=January 29, 2023 |title=East Palestine rolls out My ID program to help save lives |url=https://www.wfmj.com/story/48252848/east-palestine-rolls-out-my-id-program-in-an-effort-to-help-save-lives-oh |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230219051215/https://www.wfmj.com/story/48252848/east-palestine-rolls-out-my-id-program-in-an-effort-to-help-save-lives-oh |archive-date=February 19, 2023 |access-date=July 19, 2023 |website=WFMJ |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sess |first=Dave |date=February 20, 2023 |title=East Palestine first responders address conspiracy theories around medical bracelets |url=https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/east-palestine-train-derailment/east-palestine-first-responders-address-conspiracy-theories-around-medical-bracelets/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230221151033/https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/east-palestine-train-derailment/east-palestine-first-responders-address-conspiracy-theories-around-medical-bracelets/ |archive-date=February 21, 2023 |access-date=July 19, 2023 |website=WKBN |language=en-US}}</ref>

===2023 train derailment===
{{Main|East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment}}
On February 3, 2023, an explosion and fire occurred following the derailment of a [[Norfolk Southern]] freight train carrying hazardous chemicals on the eastern end of town.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 4, 2023 |title=Evacuations underway after train derailment causes massive fire in East Palestine |url=https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/crews-on-scene-of-train-derailment-in-east-palestine/ |access-date=February 4, 2023 |website=WKBN.com |language=en-US}}</ref> A [[state of emergency]] was declared by the village council on February 4.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 5, 2023 |title=Declaration of Emergency {{!}} East Palestine, OH |url=http://eastpalestine-oh.gov/notices/declaration-of-emergency/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205182439/http://eastpalestine-oh.gov/notices/declaration-of-emergency/ |archive-date=February 5, 2023 |access-date=February 7, 2023 }}</ref> An evacuation area was extended by Ohio Governor [[Mike DeWine]] on February 6 to allow for "a controlled release of [[vinyl chloride]]" and burning it in a nearby trench.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 6, 2023 |title=East Palestine Update: Evacuation Area Extended, Controlled Release of Rail Car Contents Planned for 3:30 p.m. |url=https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/East-Palestine-Update-Evacuation-Area-Extended-Controlled-Release-of-Rail-Car-Contents-Planned-for-3-30-pm-02062023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207002121/https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/East-Palestine-Update-Evacuation-Area-Extended-Controlled-Release-of-Rail-Car-Contents-Planned-for-3-30-pm-02062023 |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=Governor of Ohio}}</ref> Some residents subsequently started a class-action lawsuit against Norfolk Southern, citing new respiratory issues and unknown environmental impacts.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bendix |first=Aria |date=February 25, 2023 |title=Residents near Ohio train derailment diagnosed with ailments associated with chemical exposure, including bronchitis |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/ohio-derailment-chemicals-people-diagnosed-bronchitis-rcna71839 |publisher=NBC News}}</ref> Contamination remained in many buildings closest to the train wreckage for over a year. Breathing problems and other upper-respiratory health symptoms of residents, clean-up workers and bystanders who were chemically exposed were found to be similar to those found in the first responders of the [[September 11 attacks]] in New York City.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Coelho |first=Paula |date=October 2024 |title=Environmental and private property contamination following the Norfolk Southern chemical spill and chemical fires in Ohio |journal=Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology |volume=10 |issue=11 |pages=3007–3023 |url=https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EW00456F |publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology|doi=10.1039/D4EW00456F |doi-access=free }}</ref>