Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Workers At Ohio Train Incident Scene Report Illnesses
The Hill: Union Rep: Employees Reporting Illness After Working On Cleanup For East Palestine Derailment
Workers that aided in the cleanup of the train derailment in Ohio have experienced lingering migraines and nausea, according to a union representative for workers that build and maintain railways for Norfolk Southern. Jonathan Long, a union representative for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said in a Wednesday letter to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) that around 40 workers were ordered by Norfolk Southern, which owns the train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, last month, to clean up the wreckage. (Neukam, 3/1)
NBC News: Pennsylvania Residents Near Ohio Chemical Spill Say They're Left Out Of Recovery Efforts
Western Pennsylvania residents living near the Ohio border say they have been left out of recovery efforts following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in neighboring East Palestine, Ohio. The crash led to evacuations and fears of air, water and soil contamination, especially after one chemical was deliberately released and burned to prevent an explosion. (Victoria Lozano, 3/1)
Bloomberg: Ohio Derailment: Biden Expands Health Survey Visits To Pennsylvania
The Biden Administration is expanding a program that administers door-to-door health surveys following the explosive train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio into Pennsylvania, a White House official said Wednesday. (Sink, 3/1)
Reuters: Norfolk Southern CEO To Testify On Train Derailment Before US Senate
Norfolk Southern Chief Executive Alan Shaw has agreed to testify on the Ohio train derailment before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on March 9, the company said on Wednesday. (Shepardson, 3/1)
In news about PFAS, gas stoves, and asbestos —
Bloomberg: Study Finds Forever Chemicals In Toilet Paper
So-called forever chemicals seem to be turning up everywhere. We wear them, clean our houses with them and, according to a new study, perhaps even wipe ourselves with them. The report, published this week in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, has found evidence of per- or polyfluorinated chemicals — also known as PFAS — in toilet paper. An academic team led by researchers at the University of Florida concluded that the bathroom staple might be a source of PFAS entering wastewater treatment systems. (Wanna, 3/2)
The Wall Street Journal: Federal Commission Seeks Data On Gas Stoves’ Health Impact
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said it would call on companies, scientists and the public to submit research and possible solutions to potential health hazards associated with gas stoves. The request aims to examine the scope and scale of risks associated with using gas ranges, data that can be analyzed and possible solutions, the commission said Wednesday. No regulatory proceeding is being proposed and no ban is under consideration, it said. (Keilman, 3/1)
Salt Lake Tribune: Bill Would Raise Major Barriers To Sue For Asbestos Injuries In Utah
In a Feb. 15 committee hearing, Rep. Brady Brammer, R-Pleasant Grove, said HB328 was a common-sense approach to making sure asbestos lawsuits only truly target the guilty. The bill, Asbestos Litigation Amendments would require medical proof an individual had been sickened by exposure before a lawsuit could officially be filed. (Peterson, 3/1)
