The White House is taking a victory lap in its response to the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals east of Palestine, Ohio, last year. President Biden prepares to visit the site for the first time.
The administration’s media blitz Wednesday comes nearly 12 months after the disaster struck in early February 2023 and raised fears of widespread contamination of the region’s air and water. In the aftermath of the event, the federal government led by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took steps to clear the derailment site, remove waste and implement new rail safety measures.
“We have worked here at the United States Department of Transportation throughout this process and we will continue to do so. Safety is the primary reason our department exists. Whether it is aviation safety, “road safety or rail safety, that’s always our priority. top priority,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters Wednesday. “All of this was at stake and continues to be at stake in the response to what happened a year ago.”
“For many, this has been a year of fear, a year of uncertainty, and a year of change,” added EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “We recognize that these have been very difficult times. That is why I am so grateful for the leadership of President Biden, who has mobilized this whole-of-government response to support the people of East Palestine, Ohio, and supported the “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. as we worked hard to hold Norfolk Southern accountable, clean up this mess, and restore this close-knit community.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks during a press conference near the site of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, February 23, 2023. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The White House also announced Wednesday that Biden would visit the eastern Palestinian site next month to witness ongoing cleanup efforts. Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary said shortly after the incident that Biden would visit the site, but those plans never came to fruition last year.
When asked in September why he didn’t make the visit, Biden said he didn’t “make a break.”
EAST PALESTINE RESIDENT SUFFERING INJURIES, STOMACH PAIN AND FAILURE SINCE TRAIN DERAILMENT
Overall, according to federal data released Friday, the EPA has shipped about 176,787 tons of solid waste and 44.4 million gallons of wastewater from the site since February. Workers have also completed all planned excavations and are continuing to backfill, with test results indicating that the contaminated soil has been removed.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan answers questions in East Palestine, Ohio, February 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Orsagos)
Additionally, the White House highlighted additional federal work to test air quality, support local community members, investigate the cause of the derailment, and monitor potential health impacts on residents at proximity. The work involves the EPA, the Ministry of transportationFederal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Agriculture.
“On behalf of FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and the entire Biden-Harris Administration, I want to reiterate and express that our agency is committed and that we will continue to stand with the people of East Palestine in its transition to long-term recovery support. Anne Bink, associate administrator for FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, said Wednesday.
A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, following a controlled detonation of a portion of derailed Norfolk Southern trains on February 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)
However, despite his administration’s work to clean up the area, Biden never succeeded in issuing a national disaster declaration, something Ohio officials had repeatedly requested. In July, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine sent a letter to Biden doubling down on his request, and a month later, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, urged FEMA to grant DeWine’s request to “unlock additional resources from the federal government.”
“It is our responsibility to do everything we can to help them recover. I will continue to do everything in my power to support the families and small businesses of East Palestine,” Brown wrote to the administrator. of FEMA, Deanne Criswell. “Now is the time for you to step up and provide the support that only FEMA can provide.”
In September, Biden signed an executive order directing FEMA to appoint a federal disaster recovery coordinator to oversee cleanup efforts. But he refused to grant Ohio’s disaster declaration request, instead choosing to keep the request open pending future developments.
“We continue to provide federal coordination through the appointment of a federal disaster recovery coordinator to support the identification of unmet needs in East Palestine,” a senior administration official told reporters Wednesday. “That was one of our main accusations through the executive order. We continue to do that at this time.”
“But this work remains ongoing and it is truly premature to judge what additional federal resources might be needed at this time,” the official added. “As more information becomes known, we will certainly share it.”
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On February 3, 2023, a train carrying vinyl chloride, a dangerous colorless gas, operated by the Norfolk Southern Railroad derailed in eastern Palestine, which is located along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Shortly after the derailment, Norfolk Southern chose to release gases from the derailed cars, potentially releasing deadly fumes into the air, in order to avoid a potentially disastrous explosion.
Local residents were asked to evacuate the area upon liberation, but were assured they could return safely less than a week later. Experts, however, have expressed concern that the air and water are unsafe.
“It really looks like a nuclear winter,” Sil Caggiano, a local hazardous materials expert, told Fox News at the time. “Yeah, yeah, we bombed this town with chemicals.”
