President Biden to visit East Palestine
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EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (WJW) – President Joe Biden will visit East Palestine in February, according to White House officials.
A specific date has not yet been given, but officials said the President will meet with residents impacted by the toxic train derailment that took place on Feb. 3, 2023.
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Saturday marks one year since the fiery Norfolk Southern crash disrupted life in the small town. Residents have since been shaken by health concerns, decreased home values, and ongoing clean-up efforts.
FILE – In this photo taken with a drone, portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed the previous night in East Palestine, Ohio, remain on fire at mid-day, Feb. 4, 2023. Norfolk Southern says the owner of the rail car that caused the fiery Ohio derailment in February failed to properly maintain it in the years before the crash, and the railroad wants to make sure that company and the owners of the other cars involved pay their fair share of the costs. The railroad filed a complaint Friday, June 30, against all the car owners and shippers responsible for the hazardous chemicals that spilled in the derailment. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) FILE – This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed the night before in East Palestine, Ohio, still on fire at mid-day on Feb. 4, 2023. The railroad industry is trying to make sure that emergency responders can quickly look up what is on a train when they respond to a derailment. In the chaos after a Norfolk Southern train derailed and caught fire in eastern Ohio in February, firefighters couldn’t find that information for roughly 45 minutes. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Up until now, the Biden administration has dodged questions about why he has not visited the village in the wake of the disaster.
The White House said, “Under Biden’s leadership, within hours of the derailment, the Environmental Protection Agency deployed a team of trained emergency response personnel to East Palestine to aid state and local emergency and environmental response efforts.”
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White House officials also state, “The Administration will continue to support the people of East Palestine and other affected communities for as long as it takes, including by using every available tool to hold Norfolk Southern accountable. President Biden pledged he would make Norfolk Southern clean up its mess in East Palestine, and his Administration is delivering.”
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