CDC Arrives in Ohio City to Investigate Health Risks from Toxic Train Derailment

At a busy McDonald’s location in East Palestine, Ohio, a group of epidemiologists, environmental scientists and others stood outside handing out flyers on Saturday. Each leaflet has a QR code survey containing information on how to contact health officials.

Three weeks after a mass train derailment that released toxic, cancer-causing fumes throughout the area, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began polling high-traffic areas in the city of Ohio, encouraging residents to talk about their symptoms and long-term health fears. .

“We really want to make sure we’re targeting any resident that could potentially be affected,” said Jill Shugart, senior environmental health officer at the CDC Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Agency, in an exclusive interview with NBC News. Shughart is leading the agency’s response in East Palestine.

As disaster relief continues, people who live in and around a small town on the Pennsylvania border remain terrified that chemicals that have blanketed the area in a thick plume of smoke are harming their health. . Some have been diagnosed with bronchitis or have reported unexplained nausea, rashes, eye irritation, and other symptoms.

It’s like putting together a puzzle.

Senior Environmental Health Officer Jill Shugart, CDC Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Agency

“I get a scratchy throat like everyone else,” Mike Zelenak, a business owner in East Palestine, told NBC News. “I have a headache”. Zelenak owns property near the crash site and is worried about the risk of long-term illness.

Stories like Zelenak’s are exactly the kind of information the CDC should be collecting, but on a much larger scale.

CDC staff, along with representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, FEMA, the federal Department of Health and Human Services, and local governments, are working to reach out to and learn from anyone who may have been affected by the crash.

The polls include “questions such as demographics, where residents live, what health effects they may be experiencing, and attempts to establish a timeline of when they may have been in the area when the incident occurred,” Shughart said. “It’s like putting together a puzzle.”

So far, the response from the CDC has been positive.

Outreach is expected to move to Pennsylvania in the coming days, with the agency also focusing on the health of first responders at the crash site. The survey is expected to take approximately 30 minutes per person. Data collection can take up to two weeks.

This suggests that the first responses from the CDC will most likely not be available until more than a month after the crash.

What are the health risks from chemical exposure?

When a Norfolk Southern train derailed on February 3, a flammable chemical called vinyl chloride ignited and began to erupt from the scene. It is used to make polyvinyl chloride or PVC, pipes and packaging materials. It has also been used in car upholstery, giving off a “new car smell”.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that breathing large amounts of vinyl chloride increases the risk of developing liver cancer.

The CDC can only be deployed to areas of the country when states formally request help from the agency. Shughart said her team received requests from the Ohio and Pennsylvania health departments two weeks after the crash and were mobilized within days.

Read more about the Ohio train wreck

  • NTSB investigation points to wheel bearing overheating.
  • What chemicals were spilled in the Ohio area, and how might they have affected residents?
  • ‘We’re afraid to shower’: Fear and anxiety persist in Ohio city after toxic train derailment.

CDC officials said they have not yet taken any unusual security measures in the area. The team stayed at a hotel 30 miles from East Palestine, in the town of Cranberry, Pennsylvania. They say they drink water from the tap in the hotel.


Mayor Trent Conaway (center) answers questions about the ongoing cleanup of the wreck during a meeting at East Palestine City Hall, Ohio.
Mayor Trent Conaway (center) answers questions about the ongoing cleanup of the crash during a meeting at East Palestine City Hall, Ohio, Feb. 15.Gene J. Puskar / AP

Meanwhile, “People are alarmed and very concerned,” said Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. Lichtveld, who has previously worked with the Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Agency, said it is critical for public health teams at a disaster site to engage the public by listening to residents’ concerns and clearly articulating their action plans.

Community members should be “part of any action we take, part of how to design that action, how to execute that action and spread the word,” Lichtveld said. “This is an extremely important step towards the reduction of stress that currently exists.”

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