As it turns out, President Joe Biden made a trip to Ohio on Friday to survey the aftermath of a significant train derailment that occurred last year in the small village of East Palestine in northeastern Ohio. Air Force One landed in Pittsburgh at 2:25 p.m. EST, and from there, Biden traveled to East Palestine by ground, arriving at 4:30 p.m. EST.
During his initial remarks, Biden reassured residents that the government is committed to staying until the recovery work is completed. Upon reaching East Palestine, he received an update on the ongoing recovery efforts.
The derailment, which happened on Feb. 3, 2023, involved a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous chemicals, resulting in a spill and a fire that lasted several days. The incident also led to the contamination of nearby drinking water and the evacuation of hundreds of residents from the village, which has a population of 4,700.
The train was transporting 115,580 gallons of vinyl chloride, a dangerous gas. Biden had also planned to meet with individuals directly impacted by the disaster, as confirmed by the White House earlier. He emphasized the preventable nature of the incident, attributing it to negligence rather than unavoidable circumstances. Biden signed an executive order to hold Norfolk Southern accountable and ensure a thorough cleanup.
Furthermore, he announced the allocation of six National Institute of Health grants to institutions, including Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, to study the short- and long-term effects of the spill.
Biden’s visit was at the invitation of East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, following previous criticism from Conaway about the delay in Biden’s visit compared to former President Donald Trump’s visit shortly after the derailment. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also visited a day later to assess the situation and provide an update on behalf of the NTSB.
