Biden is going to the site of last year’s train derailment in Ohio. Republicans say he took too long
WASHINGTON — For more than a year, President Joe Biden waited for what the White House said was the right time to visit East Palestine, Ohio, drawing criticism for ignoring the victims of an explosive fire caused by a train derailment.
On Friday, the president will visit the village of 5,000 residents at the mayor’s invitation, as the Environmental Protection Agency is about to complete an extensive cleanup paid for by the railroad company Norfolk Southern. Republicans have faulted Biden for not visiting sooner, and there are some lingering tensions in the community.
“The president has always said that when the time is right and when it made sense for him to go, he would go,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “And so that’s what he does.”
Ahead of the trip, Jean-Pierre said in response to a question that Biden has “no concerns about drinking the water” in the city, where chemicals and hazardous waste are spreading as a result of the fire. She noted that EPA Administrator Michael Regan drank the water during an earlier visit.
Democrat Biden is entering Republican territory amid a re-election campaign. Aides say it’s a chance for Biden to hear from the community, talk about his efforts to hold Norfolk Southern accountable and push for passage of a rail safety bill. A number of government officials have visited in the past year.
“It has been a year full of challenges, but also a year of solidarity,” Regan said in a statement. “I am proud of East Palestine, a community that embodies resilience, hope and progress.”
Biden’s visit will include a separate meeting for former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner. Trump won nearly 72% of the vote in Ohio’s Columbiana County, which includes Eastern Palestine.
Mike Young, the rally’s coordinator, described the grassroots event as “anti-Biden.” He said he delivered water to the community after the disaster and the president should have arrived immediately.
“The sentiment from residents was, where were you a year ago?,” Young said. “Too little, too late. And now Biden appears during the election.”
The visit will be Biden’s first trip connecting with ordinary voters, as a special counsel report last week questioned the 81-year-old president’s mental strength. Eastern Palestine has emerged as a test of his ability to bridge political divisions and publicly demonstrate he is equal to the burdens of the presidency.
The EPA conducted an intensive cleanup and says the community’s air, water and soil are now safe.
More than 176,000 tons of hazardous waste was removed. More than 100 million gallons of water, rainfall and snowmelt were removed or treated. The federal agency is also collecting 2,500 samples to ensure the cleanup is successful.
Norfolk Southern said it has spent about $1.1 billion on its response to the derailment. Since the fire broke out on February 3, 2023 and caused hazardous chemicals to mix, the company says it has invested $103.2 million in the community, including $21 million among residents.
Still, there are those in the community who say more work needs to be done.
On Thursday, community activists sent Biden a letter asking him to issue a major disaster declaration for the community, as well as provide long-term health care for residents, increased environmental testing and relocation funding for those who want to leave.
Krissy Hylton, 49, is among those worried about returning to their homes.
Hylton, an assistant manager at a supermarket, said she would tell Biden about her health problems. The EPA tests say her home should be safe, but she said she has independent tests indicating a risk of chemical exposure. She worries about where she will live when the lease on a Norfolk Southern-paid rental home expires in May.
“My house is not safe to go back to,” she said between sobs. “This has been devastating. No matter what day it is on the calendar, for me it is still February 3, 2023. Because I have no answers. I have more questions.”