Ohio train derailment: CDC workers became sick from working at toxic site

Employees for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention became sick in March while assessing the health effects of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

A Norfolk Southern train derailed and subsequently caught fire, spewing vinyl chloride, phosgene, hydrogen chloride, and other gases into the air and water while traveling from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 3.

The CDC has now confirmed that seven of its employees reported symptoms, including sore throats, headaches, coughing, and nausea, while assessing the health of residents and pets living near the crash site, according to a report.

The seven employees, who were part of a team of 15 CDC investigators conducting house-to-house surveys, were asked to return to their hotel rooms on March 6 and work remotely the following day.

“Symptoms resolved for most team members later the same afternoon, and everyone resumed work on survey data collection within 24 hours,” a CDC statement noted. “Impacted team members have not reported ongoing health effects.”