EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — One year ago this week, a toxic train derailed, upending the lives of thousands in East Palestine.
People raised concerns about their health, homes, businesses and their futures. Those concerns haven't waned.
We've been in the village from the beginning, and we are making good on a promise we wouldn't leave.
Monday on News 5 at 6 p.m., News 5 investigator Tara Morgan begins our coverage with the days, weeks and months after the derailment.
Watch News 5 at 6 p.m. live below:
Feb. 3, 2023 lives in the hearts, minds and souls of the people of East Palestine. A Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed near the Ohio - Pennsylvania border.
The fire was massive, with towering thick smoke. First responders knocked on doors in a one-mile radius to get people out.
Watch our initial report on the derailment below:
RELATED: 50-car train derailment causes big fire, evacuations in Ohio
"We were some of the last holdouts on Alice Street,” one resident told us,
Just days after the derailment, incident command decided to move forward with a controlled vent and burn of vinyl chloride from five rail cars to avoid a potentially catastrophic explosion.
See the controlled vent and burn below:
The National Guard blocked off roads leading to town. Governor Mike DeWine called it a matter of life or death.
"You need to leave. You just need to leave," he announced to residents at the time.
Watch the full news conference held before the controlled release below:
The mandatory evacuation order was lifted after only three days. The governor's office said air quality samples showed safe readings.
Explore an interactive timeline of the derailment and weeks after below:
View the timeline in a full-screen window here.
RELATED: Timeline of the East Palestine train derailment disaster and aftermath
Norfolk Southern started running trains again.
But the stress, frustration and mistrust carried on.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” said resident Dan Cozza on March 3, 2023.
When Michael Regan, the Chief of the U.S. EPA, visited East Palestine in mid-February 2023, Morgan asked him about the scope of the disaster.
"Can you tell us how far the scope will be just beyond the one mile? Just quickly, people want to know,” she asked.
“The science will dictate how far it spans out, so we’re trusting the science,” he told us.
Watch our report on the EPA chief's visit below:
RELATED: U.S. EPA Administrator tours East Palestine and one house for an indoor air screening
The derailment killed tens of thousands of fish in the creeks. People lived scared.
"We should not have been let back into town,” resident Kristina Ferguson said.
They were scared to breathe the air and drink the water, even after the EPA chief and Governor DeWine took a sip from the tap, telling people the village water is safe.
Our first-ever community survey showed people don't believe it.
Watch the report on our six-month community survey below:
RELATED: Majority of people still afraid to drink East Palestine water 6 months later, survey shows
"I won't — we go get bottled water all the time,” said one resident we surveyed.
Families demanded independent testing on their private wells, bombarding a Youngstown lab with orders.
"We're at about 200 right now just from East Palestine," a lab representative told us.
In the aftermath, the small village became a big stage for politicians.
Senators Sherrod Brown and JD Vance, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former president Donald Trump all paid visits to the community in the months following the derailment.
"What this community needs now are not excuses and all of the other things, but answers and results,” Trump said when he visited on Feb. 22.
Watch our story on Trump's visit to East Palestine:
RELATED: Former President Donald Trump visits train derailment site in East Palestine
Businesses struggled to stay afloat. Customers worried about their health.
"Everybody knows this is a disaster area. They do not feel secure to do business with us in the future,” said the president of WYG Refractories, one of the manufacturers forced to close last year.
Watch our story with the president of WYG Refractories:
Norfolk Southern pledged to make things right.
"Norfolk Southern is committed to doing what's right, and each and every day, we're going to do the next thing right,” CEO Alan Shaw.
The railroad removed contaminated soil and water by the truckloads and pumped millions into the community.
Twenty days after the derailment, the NTSB released its preliminary findings, noting surveillance video showed a wheel bearing overheating before the disaster.
"This was 100% preventable, said NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy.
Watch our story on the NTSB's preliminary report:
RELATED: NTSB Chair: East Palestine train derailment was ‘100% preventable’
In June, the NTSB held a rare field hearing in East Palestine. Witness testimony focused on communication, first response preparedness, and what happened.
Watch our report below:
RELATED: NTSB holds rare in-field hearing for East Palestine derailment probe
Six months later, the EPA announced the completion of a major cleanup — Norfolk Southern had removed the last of the contaminated dirt.
Watch our report:
RELATED: Ohio EPA touts progress, looks to future of East Palestine after derailment
Restoration would begin while testing to ensure health and safety continues.