CDC TEAM HEADS TO OHIO — CDC epidemiologists and environmental health scientists are in Ohio this week, Krista has learned. They’re helping assess and investigate the health risk after a 150-car train derailed in the small town of East Palestine earlier this month carrying dangerous chemicals. Staff from the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry were set to arrive Monday to help the EPA and the state’s health department conduct the emergency response, assess the contamination and communicate the risks they pose to the public. What’s happened so far: On Feb. 3, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, near the Pennsylvania border, sending five tanker trucks off the tracks. The cars carried several hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited the site last week, vowing to hold Norfolk Southern responsible. The agency has been inspecting homes for vinyl chloride and hydrogen chloride, two of the most dangerous chemicals on the train, and monitoring the air. State and local agencies are running tests for contaminants in drinking water; officials, in the meantime, have told residents to drink bottled water. The blowback: Residents and lawmakers alike have criticized the Biden administration’s response to the accident — Regan was the first senior administration official to visit the site — and asked for additional help from federal health officials as an increasing number of residents have reported feeling sick. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Oh.) said last week during a visit to East Palestine that he was “very frustrated” with the CDC. “We’ve been going back and forth with them for a couple of days, asking them, ‘What are the acceptable levels of contamination here before this becomes endangering to human health?’” the Republican said. “We have not yet gotten a good answer, and it’s something we’re going to keep hammering on.” What’s next: The CDC expects to send a separate team to the area to conduct an Assessment of Chemical Exposure investigation, which is a “rapid epidemiological assessment” to determine the impact of chemical releases on residents’ health. The agency has previously conducted similar investigations when chemicals have been released on other train derailments, at manufacturing plants and in resorts. WELCOME TO TUESDAY PULSE — Why does the zebra have its stripes? Here’s why. Any other questions? Send them to kmahr@politico.com and dpayne@politico.com, along with your big news and hot tips for the week. TODAY ON OUR PULSE CHECK PODCAST, host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Krista about America’s nursing homes, which have been at the epicenter of the Covid pandemic, and what's behind their low rates of Covid-19 booster shots among residents and staff.
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