ABOUT
COMMUNITY-INFORMED STORYTELLING
RiverWise is a nonprofit organization in Beaver County, PA. We highlight stories that promote civic agency and community flourishing.
We seek to move beyond predictable narratives meant to divide and sensationalize.
We believe that responsible and purposeful storytelling can move a community toward greater health, vibrancy, and purpose.
RIVERWISE STORYTELLING TEAM
Partnership with Clean Air Action to Lift Up Resident Voices and Concerns
When the East Palestine disaster captured fleeting global attention one year after the derailment, RiverWise was moved by the necessity of sustained focus. The derailment’s repercussions were also felt acutely in the neighboring communities, particularly those here in Beaver County, where the disaster's impact was profound yet largely unnoticed.
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In partnership with Clean Air Council, RiverWise undertook an extensive storytelling project in 2023 and 2024 to chronicle the evolving journeys of a community shaken by an unprecedented crisis and ensure that the voices of those affected remain at the forefront long after the initial shock of the disaster fades.
Our objective was not just to document but also to illuminate the resilience and transformation of neighbors within the community, ensuring their stories resonate far and wide.
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Still Here: Clean Air Action Website
cleanairactionfund.org/still-here
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#EPStillHere stories on Instagram
Please share to help boost their voices!
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Watch the entire series on YouTube.
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The first year of the Still Here project, "Still Here: Echoes of the East Palestine Train Derailment", was created in partnership with the Clean Air Action Fund.​​​
Ongoing coverage of the lasting impacts on the East Palestine and neighboring communities
What started out as a one-year project capturing residents impacted by the East Palestine train derailment in 2023, soon developed into a multi-year, on-going storytelling effort that follows several residents of East Palestine and neighboring communities as they navigate the aftermath of an environmental disaster.
In 2024 and 2025, RiverWise's Storytelling Team revisited the residents featured our original project titled "Still Here: Echoes of the East Palestine Train Derailment."
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During dozens of interviews and events we heard about continued division within the community, and particularly amongst families. The stressors of the aftermath of the derailment created lasting friction that for many is leaving long-term emotional and social impacts.
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We heard from residents who were resourced to move out of town, and we also spoke with those who feel trapped inside a home that makes them ill. ​
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Some residents opted into the class action settlement with Norfolk Southern while others opted out. For many, the immediate chaos and abruptness of the derailment is over. Now, the community is searching for healing. Some folks have devoted their careers and free-time to overdue health studies and research, others are trying to prioritize their health by figuring out how they can leave, and even more are navigating how to live with the fear of whether or not an environmental disaster will happen again.​
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Learn more about how residents are searching for healing in East Palestine by watching our feature film and short films on our YouTube Channel.​
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"Still Here: Searching for Healing in East Palestine" was made possible in part by the generous funding of the Colcom Foundation. ​​​