Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell will travel to Flint, Mich., this week as the federal government ramps up efforts to contain the city’s drinking water crisis.
Burwell, whose department is leading the federal response, will visit Flint on Thursday to meet with residents who have been affected by lead contamination caused by the city’s corroded water pipes.
The HHS chief will tour a local health center, Hamilton Community Health Network, that is offering blood tests to children who have been exposed to lead contamination.
She will also hold a press briefing on the government’s response.
Burwell is the second top Obama administration official to visit Flint since the federal government took control over the city’s water monitoring and blood testing in January.
Gina McCarthy, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), flew in to Flint the day before the House’s hearing on the water crisis earlier this month. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has planned a trip to the city in early March with several Michigan Democrats.
President Obama was criticized for not making a stop in Flint when he was in Detroit late last month.