According to railroad unions, Norfolk Southern employees who were present at the derailment and chemical spill scene in East Palestine, Ohio, have been ill.

According to CNBC, union representatives addressed letters to government officials, including East Palestine Mayor Trent Conway, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, stating that Norfolk Southern employees were experiencing migraines and nausea.

In addition, it was asserted that the 35 to 40 workers lacked the required protective equipment, including gloves, boots, and coveralls.

Twelve railroad union representatives met with Buttigieg and the chief of the Federal Railroad Administration, Amit Bose, to advocate for enhanced safety rules.

“Today’s gathering is an opportunity for labor to express what our members see and experience on a daily basis,” Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen president Mike Baldwin said.

This week, a group of U.S. senators launched the Railway Safety Act, which aims to retool and implement new safety measures for transporting hazardous chemicals.

The Guardian reported on Friday that leaked audio from 2016 indicated a Union Pacific management telling a subordinate to stop flagging faulty bearings on railcars, the type of failure blamed for the Norfolk Southern catastrophe.