Ohio Gov. DeWine asks Biden for major disaster declaration for East Palestine after train derailment

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday asked President Biden to issue a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration over the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, a tool to guarantee federal aid in the future. 

The Ohio community is still dealing with the environmental and health-related fallout from the chemical disaster propelled by the Feb. 3 derailment. Monday was the deadline the Federal Emergency Management Agency set for DeWine to make the request, after the agency gave DeWine an extension on March 7 to decide whether to make the request. 

"The possibility remains that the voluntary support provided by Norfolk Southern could at some point in the future cease, and this declaration is needed to ensure that the state and federal government use all resources available to step in and provide the community with needed assistance," DeWine said in his letter to the president.