CDC in W.Va. Discussing Spill Health Monitoring

Federal health officials are in Charleston this week discussing options for medical monitoring after a January chemical spill contaminated water supplies to 300,000 people.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials say they are a few weeks to a month away from deciding how to track people’s long-term health.

The spill spurred a tap-water ban for four to 10 days.

Hundreds of people went to the emergency room in the two weeks after the spill, many after a tap-water ban was lifted. Some common symptoms were rashes, nausea, vomiting and itching.

The visit follows up on a July commitment that the National Toxicology Program will spend $750,000 to $1.2 million on additional studies. Officials say the animal research will take up to a year to complete.