The chemical spill from the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, had health effects on the 15 federal officials who went there to investigate. According to a statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seven of the 15 researchers became ill after their work-related stay in the area affected by the train spill.
According to information reported by CNN, the researchers had symptoms including dizziness, vomiting, nausea and headache. These symptoms are similar to those experienced by residents of East Palestine after the environmental incident. The research team contracted the symptoms while monitoring the local population, going door-to-door to conduct surveys.
They all became ill at the same time and with the same symptoms. The federal agency assures that despite this, they have not determined what caused the federal workers' condition. The CDC source quoted by CNN also said that the symptoms disappeared a few days after leaving the area affected by the chemical spill, and for this reason it was not originally reported.
Government denied health effects
This information contradicts, however, claims by the federal government and the company responsible for the disaster, Norfolk Southern, that neither the water nor the air in East Palestine had become unhealthy after the chemical spill.
Meanwhile, cleanup work continues in East Palestine. It is estimated that federal agencies have already cleaned up about 11,960 tons of soil contaminated by the dumping of mainly vinyl chloride. It also adds up to about 10 million gallons of contaminated water. The latest tests carried out on the two streams that run near the town continue to test positive for very high levels of chemical contamination.
