A University of Kentucky researcher is leading a health tracking survey in the East Palestine region of Ohio. It comes following the February derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials. Erin Haynes is an environmental health scientist at UK.
She said the online survey could help in providing information about treating short and long-term stress-related issues.
“We want to enable a tracking system in order to capture, one, this very important critical moment. But then also, later in time. We plan to follow these individuals to see how symptoms, concerns, change over time,” said Haynes.
The February third derailment created significant health concerns about the release of toxic chemicals and the subsequent controlled burn of chemicals. Haynes said the health tracking survey should be able to better assess how far symptoms are being seen beyond the site of the derailment.
Haynes said this program could provide guidance for other disasters, such as storm-related ones in Kentucky.
“This could be a good format, model, draft for other investigators wanting to work with the community in any disaster including hopefully not ever again but like tornadoes in Kentucky or flooding.”
Ideally, Haynes said it would be great for 20,000 people to participate in the survey. Residents in about a half dozen counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are being invited to participate.
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