EAST PALESTINE — Jessica Conard, now a nationally recognized rail-safety and environmental-health advocate who emerged from the aftermath of the 2023 East Palestine train derailment, recently launched a new program to help communities identify and respond to rail-related threats before disaster strikes.

The initiative, called “Disaster Averted: Rail Watch Service,” provides grassroots leaders with personalized strategic guidance on rail hazards, chemical transport risks, regulatory systems and effective community organizing.

The service launched during a “Community Action for Rail Safety” webinar on Dec. 4, hosted in collaboration with the Halt the Harm Network.

Conard became one of the most prominent voices demanding accountability after a Norfolk Southern train — carrying hazardous chemicals — passed through her backyard on fire and derailed shortly afterward on Feb. 3, 2023. The derailment and the intentional release and burn of more than one million pounds of vinyl chloride propelled Conard into national advocacy, pushing for transparency from responding agencies and stronger protections for communities near rail lines.

Her activism quickly expanded beyond rail safety. Through her work exposing the dangers of vinyl chloride and plastics production, Conard became a leading critic of the petrochemical and plastics industries. In 2025, Beyond Plastics, a national organization focused on ending plastic pollution, named her its first-ever Appalachia Director.

Drawing on her experience as both a medical speech pathologist and a frontline advocate, Conard developed the “Disaster Averted: Rail Watch Service” to help other communities avoid the confusion, misinformation and slow response that followed the East Palestine disaster.

The service is designed for:

– Leaders facing proposed rail terminals or hazardous waste routes.

– Residents seeking to understand chemical transport risks.

– Campaigns confronting toxic industry.

– Existing rail-safety efforts looking for expert insight and peer support.

“Grassroots leaders are often the first to recognize danger — but they’re rarely given the tools to respond strategically,” Conard said. “This program gives them clarity, confidence and a concrete path forward.”

Every engagement begins with a focused 60-minute strategy session via Zoom. The conversation is recorded so participants can revisit the guidance.

During the session, Conard helps communities assess local hazards, understand regulatory language and jurisdiction, identify leverage points and map out concrete next steps. Participants can also add a Messaging Audit (expert review of up to two public-facing documents) and a Brief & Action Map (a customized roadmap including talking points, permit tracking, ally contacts and strategic recommendations).

The service does not replace legal counsel, formal regulatory appeals or long-term campaign management.

The Halt the Harm Network, which supports front-line environmental leaders across the U.S., is partnering with Conard to launch the program. The network regularly hosts webinars and provides infrastructure for campaigns confronting industrial hazards, including plastics, petrochemicals and rail-transport risks.

Residents and local leaders can learn more and apply for the pilot program at: halttheharm.net/service/disaster-averted-rail-watch-service/.