Too little, too late: Biden to travel to East Palestine, Ohio, nearly a year after toxic train crash

President Biden will travel to East Palestine, Ohio, in February after nearly a full year of fierce criticism for not visiting the region to view the aftermath of a train derailment that released toxic chemicals into the air and ground.

A senior White House official announced the trip Wednesday, saying Mr. Biden will head to East Palestine to discuss his administration’s response to the crash and railroad safety. An exact date has not been announced.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Mr. Biden was visiting at the request of East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, who previously eviscerated the administration’s response to the derailment.

Last year, Mr. Conaway said he was “furious” about the lack of a visit by Mr. Biden and said it shows that the president “doesn’t care about us.”

Mr. Conaway did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the upcoming presidential visit.

“The mayor and community leaders invited the president to assess the recovery process,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said. “The president has always said he would always go when it’s most helpful to the community and with this invitation … we felt the time was right,” she said.

Ms. Jean-Pierre dismissed the past criticism, saying Mr. Conaway “is allowed to say whatever he wants to say, but he also invited the president to come.”

Sen. J.D. Vance, Ohio Republican, questioned why Mr. Biden was showing up a year later.

“It’s too little, too late,” he told The Washington Times. “I don’t know what purpose it serves other than being a bit of a political stunt. I don’t know that he’s actually going to meaningfully improve anyone’s lives by showing up.

“I wish he’d shown up a year ago and his administration were more involved in the cleanup. That’s what I wish,” Mr. Vance said.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat and staunch Biden ally, said the president needs to address concerns about the air and water quality.

“He needs to answer questions on regular water testing, about testing of the air on long-term health effects. He needs to ask questions about it, they need to — before we hold Norfolk Southern accountable,” said Mr. Brown, who is facing a tough reelection bid this year in the increasingly red state.

The Feb. 3, 2023, crash of a Norfolk Southern Corp. train carrying toxic chemicals touched off a political and environmental firestorm that sparked heavy criticism of Mr. Biden for not traveling the region.

Republicans seized on his absence, saying it was evidence the president doesn’t care about working-class Americans in an area that then-President Trump won easily in 2020.

Ohio, which Mr. Trump carried in 2020, is considered a battleground state and sits between Michigan and Pennsylvania, two other states critical to Mr. Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign.

Mr. Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, visited East Palestine shortly after the derailment and said at the time Mr. Biden had “abandoned” the town. He also blasted Mr. Biden for traveling to Ukraine weeks after the crash, saying it was a “slap in the face.”

During a September trip to Florida, Mr. Biden was asked by The Washington Times why he had not visited the struggling town.

“Well, I haven’t had the occasion to go to East Palestine,” Mr. Biden said from Live Oak, Florida, in the wake of Hurricane Idalia. “There’s a lot going on here, and I just haven’t been able to break.

“I was thinking whether I’d go to East Palestine this week, but I was reminded that I’ve got to [travel] literally around the world,” he added, noting that he had upcoming trips to India and Vietnam.

Earlier this month, Ms. Jean-Pierre was asked whether the president would visit the town. She said Mr. Biden would visit “when it’s most helpful to the community.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the region after the crash but was criticized by Republicans for showing up too late and failing to deliver on his promise of restoring accountability in the railroad industry. The White House pushed back, accusing Republicans in Congress of blocking efforts to bolster rail safety.

After the crash, East Palestine residents reported headaches, lingering odors and animal deaths. The train was carrying chemicals including vinyl chloride, a carcinogen, and the crash triggered a fire that sent up a plume of smoke over the town.

Officials temporarily evacuated the area and conducted a controlled release of hazardous fumes to prevent an even larger explosion of the train’s cargo.

Norfolk Southern agreed to pay for the cleanup effort and reported a $387 million cost related to derailment during the first quarter of last year, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.