OFF BEAT: Sandy leaves moldy mess for lottery workers

Some New Jersey Lottery employees reportedly are seeking workers compensation benefits after they say they were sickened by lottery tickets that turned moldy after Superstorm Sandy.

About 400,000 unsold scratch-off tickets were stored at the New Jersey Lottery Commission's headquarters in Lawrenceville, N.J., after they were removed from stores that flooded during the October hurricane, according to the The Times of Trenton newspaper. Some warehouse employees complained of headaches and respiratory problems after working near the moldy tickets, according to media reports.

The Trentonian newspaper says two lottery workers filed workers comp claims in April following three complaints from the employees' union about the moldy tickets.

The New Jersey Department of Treasury said last month that it provided protective gear to lottery workers who handled water-damaged tickets, and that the tickets were being held to be audited and destroyed, according to The Trentonian. The tickets were reportedly incinerated on May 9.