East Palestine residents are getting the rare oppotunity to have the National Transportation Board actually set up shop, and hold a field hearing in their community today.

NTSB Board members are interviewing first responders and others from the area, about the massively destructive Norfolk-Southern Railways train derailment last February, which resulted in a huge volume of toxic chemicals released into the environment.

Their goal, according to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, is to gather information about why and how it happened, in an effort to ensure something like this doesn't ever happen again.

East Palestine area esidents have been worried about both their health and economic well-being, ever since the derailment. Many have complained about having difficulty breathing, rashes, and other kinds of illness.

They've also been worried that the toxic chemical release has polluted their air and water so badly that it would be unsafe to drink it, and to raise farm crops. So far, both state and federal environmental protection agencies have assured them they have found no evidence of pollution that is dangerous enough to cause ongoing problems, and yet, these residents are still concerned.

The hearing is going on live right now. Click the player below to watch. 

Please note, CSPAN is also carrying this hearing, and they give you the option to either watch it live, or from the beginning.

So, if you don't have the time to watch it right now, you can always go back and catch up on what you missed by clicking here.