President Joe Biden announced that he plans to visit East Palestine, Ohio.
This will be his first visit to the area a year after a train derailed, spilling toxic materials into water sources.
“In February, President Biden will travel to East Palestine, Ohio, to meet with residents impacted by the Norfolk Southern train derailment, discuss Federal support to the community, and hold Norfolk Southern accountable,” a White House Fact Sheet reads.
Following the announcement, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Biden has finally decided to visit East Palestine, Ohio, a year late, and only to develop some political credibility because EVERYTHING else he has done has been such a DISASTER. I know those great people, I was there when it counted, and his reception won’t be a warm one.”
Trump on Biden’s upcoming visit to East Palestine, Ohio: pic.twitter.com/e7Lnfwmm0R
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 31, 2024
East Palestine residents have criticized Biden’s late travels.
A local business owner told Fox & Friends, “President Trump came and supported us when he didn’t have to,” adding, “Now it’s, ‘Hey we have to go visit East Palestine because we haven’t done that yet — and check it off the books.’”
East Palestine, OH Business Owner: "… The leader of our country did not show up to the greatest catastrophe of 2023. And now, he's going to show up because it's an election year… the polls show President Trump came and supported us when he didn't have to." pic.twitter.com/TkxTKeSPw0
— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) January 31, 2024
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway also condemned Biden’s delayed response.
“I didn’t have to invite President Trump to come, but I felt I had to send out a personal invitation to President Biden to come so we can get some answers to some of these lingering health concerns,” he said.
HEAR IT – THINGS ARE REALLY BAD: East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway says he did not need to invite Donald Trump to come visit after the disaster, but he had to put out a personal invitation for Joe Biden to visit after a year. WATCH pic.twitter.com/ronIkxIspM
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) February 1, 2024
Research out of Texas A&M and Carnegie Mellon University found that East Palestine, Ohio contained “higher than normal” levels of toxic chemicals in the environment following the February 2023 train derailment.
The report determined that benzene, vinyl chloride, arcolein, butadiene, o-Xylene, trichloroethylene, napthalene trichloroethane, and p-Xylene were all in the air near the crash site.
According to the researchers, acrolein presents the biggest risk to nearby residents as the limit discovered was well beyond what is considered “safe.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claimed that exposure to the chemical may cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and organs and possible chronic respiratory disease.
The agency also stated that ingesting anything contaminated with the toxin benzene can potentially cause “blood cancers like leukemia.”
