Joint teams from multiple federal agencies have started canvassing homes in a tiny Ohio village upended by a hazardous train derailment to help provide support for affected residents.
Interagency teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began the door-to-door outreach in East Palestine, Ohio, on Saturday. The teams are “equipped with the most up-to-date and accurate information, meeting impacted residents where they are in order to better connect them with resources from government and non-profit organizations, gather situational awareness about ongoing concerns and identify any unmet needs,” according to a joint press release.
As of Sunday afternoon, the teams have had “more than 350 interactions” with East Palestine residents, answering questions and distributing information, according to FEMA Region 5 Administrator Tom Sivak. FEMA also has 49 personnel on the ground to support the larger federal effort, Sivak said.
B.C. Begley 