EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — It’s been two years since the East Palestine train derailment that changed so many lives.

Many people, such as lawmakers and Norfolk Southern, promised change. Emilia Sykes, a representative of Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, has been advocating for East Palestine.

“Unfortunately, we are here two years after Norfolk Southern train derailment completely upended the East Palestine community and Congress has failed to pass any rail safety legislation,” Sykes said.

Sykes has been working to pass the RAIL Act. She said that Ohio ranks third in the nation for serious train accidents and hazardous material spills, which is why she is reintroducing the RAIL Act on Tuesday. This legislation would toughen railroad regulations.

“Making sure that we have a two-person crew, that the detectors are being monitored, that we’re getting the right type of information to our first responders and doing what we can to make sure something that happened in East Palestine, doesn’t happen anywhere else in this country,” Sykes said.

Vice President JD Vance said that the senate’s bipartisan Railway Safety Act has to the votes to pass, whereas democrats said Vance didn’t convince enough republicans, who said the bill’s regulations are too harsh. East Palestine mayor, Trent Conaway, expressed his frustration.

“This is ridiculous. I mean, it’s been two years now,” he said.

Conaway explained that safety was a big topic of discussion with lawmakers who made the trip to East Palestine for the derailment anniversary.

“I understand they have to make a profit, but they also have to make sure the trains are safe,” he said.

Conaway said that the Village of East Palestine can’t pay to relocate its safety services further from the tracks. Norfolk Southern originally said they would pay for a new safety training center, but now it’s not part of the $22 million settlement that the railroad reached with the city. Conaway said that the safety services need the option to go somewhere.

Jess Conard, an East Palestine resident, expressed her frustrations over this.

“I think that this is just the latest chapter in the failures that we have had to face in the lack of human reparations from the polluter,” she said.

Sykes explained lawmakers should listen to East Palestine residents, and she hopes that rail safety legislation will pass through the new congress and protect places like East Palestine in the future.

“Rail safety is not a partisan issue or a regional issue, it is a human issue,” Sykes said.