by Julia Conley at the Defender
Reports that several investigators with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) became ill earlier this month when they visited East Palestine, Ohio, offered the latest evidence on March 31 that the air and water in the town are less safe than state officials and rail company Norfolk Southern have claimed, following the company’s train derailment in February.
As CNN reported, seven physicians and officers from the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service traveled to East Palestine in early March, a month after a train carrying toxic chemicals including vinyl chloride derailed there.
The team reported developing symptoms including headaches, sore throats, coughing and nausea while they were conducting their door-to-door assessment of public health risks.
The symptoms were similar to those reported by many East Palestine residents since the crash, and are consistent with the physical effects of exposure to vinyl chloride when it is burned, as it was by officials who conducted a controlled release following the derailment to avoid an explosion.
Despite reports from people in the area,…
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