CDC, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry begin next phase of Assessment of Chemical Exposure related to East Palestine, Ohio train derailment

The fallout and investigation of the events surrounding a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last month continue, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) recently announced preparations are underway for the next phase of Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE).

Until this week, CDC and ATSDR had largely focused on in-field work, gathering data on the health impacts of the derailment. As of this week, they will shift staff back to their agencies to complete the analysis of that data. An affiliated ACE survey will remain online, however, so the agencies can continue data collection until March 31, 2023. While the shift to analysis has begun, this will not be quick work. The agencies noted that analysis and sharing of the results will occur over the next couple of months.

On Feb. 3, 2023, 38 cars of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in the small town, setting off a fire among the railcars. Eventually, emergency crews hosted a controlled burn of several rail cars, which released hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air and forced a temporary evacuation of residents. Concerns have lingered over the effects of this since, particularly after the Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimated that, as of Feb. 23, 2023, the derailment had likely led to the deaths of more than 43,000 fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and other marine animals.

Lawsuits related to the incident are ongoing, and the U.S. Senate held a hearing on the public health and environmental issues related to the case earlier this month.

CDC and ATSDR have aided local, state, and federal partners since the East Palestine event first became an emergency. Still, staff didn’t begin arriving until Feb. 17, 2023, at which point they began assessing the public health impact of the derailment and more. The survey was previously launched to assist in collecting information about the health of those affected by and those who responded to the train derailment incident.

These surveys help gauge the impact of chemical releases on individuals and their communities. CDC and ATSDR also help their results will assist public health recommendations and provide for lessons learned.