(CNN) A federal team is visiting residents of East Palestine, Ohio, to conduct health surveys. This is part of the federal government’s response to a toxic train derailment. town, according to White House officials.
Officials said the team provided an informational flyer containing federal and local resources and is completing an investigation after President Joe Biden ordered the move.
The latest measure comes as frustrated locals in East Palestine complain of feeling unwell after a train wreck in southern Norfolk earlier this month seeped toxic chemicals into water, air and soil, prompting long-term Because it raises health concerns.
The two-page flyer, first obtained by CNN, includes emergency resources for residents, as well as details on how to schedule free health checks and arrange for private wells and drinking water testing. It is Also included is a dedicated poison control hotline number for questions regarding the train derailment and details of a Federal Environmental Protection Agency-led public meeting to be held March 2 at 6 p.m. in the Palestinian High School Auditorium. .
Members of the EPA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are distributing the flyers, with the goal of reaching 400 households by Monday, White House officials said. Health surveys are conducted by the CDC.
Biden went door-to-door at government agencies to talk to residents Friday after receiving updates on the federal response to the derailment from senior officials, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and leaders. EPA and FEMA, according to officials who instructed them to check in.
The president, who has no current plans to visit Ohio, defended his administration’s response to the crisis on Friday, but has faced criticism from Republicans, including East Palestinian Mayor Trent Conaway, who was unfolding in Ohio. Of, “There was the biggest slap in the face, which shows he doesn’t care about us now.”
“We were there two hours, two hours after the train got off,” Biden told reporters on Friday. “I’ve spoken to key figures in both Pennsylvania and Ohio, so the idea that we’re not engaged is simply not there. I’m going to be heading to Kiev, so I’ll be very careful about that.” We’re watching. We’re doing the best we can.”
The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on Thursday into an investigation into the February 3 train derailment, concluding that the Ohio wreck is entirely preventable.
CNN’s Donald Judd and Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.
