President Joe Biden instructed federal agents responding to the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, to go door-to-door to conduct health surveys with impacted families, a White House official said Monday.
Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention visited approximately 350 household over the weekend, according to the official, who described the effort on the condition of anonymity. The government has been distributing fliers detailing available federal resource and hopes to reach an additional 50 families on Monday.
Biden has so far opted against visiting the site of the fiery crash and chemical explosion, instead dispatching Cabinet members and emergency response workers. That decision has come under criticism from leading Republicans, with former President Donald Trump — who has announced his 2024 presidential campaign — visiting the town last week and distributing fast food and water.
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