President Biden on Friday surveyed the federal cleanup in East Palestine, Ohio, more than a year after an explosive fire following the derailment of a train loaded with hazardous chemicals, and saw up close the lingering hostility from victims still angry that he waited so long to visit them. Aides have said Biden was waiting for the right moment to make the trip. He visited after being invited by the village's mayor. Addressing residents, Biden said he wants them to understand "that we're not going home, no matter what, until this job is done, and it's not done yet." He did not explain why he didn't visit sooner, the AP reports, nor did he address the community's collective hurt.
Biden praised what he said were "Herculean efforts" and announced federal grants to study the effects of what happened. Signs of the community's still-hurt feelings were evident. Some people shouted profanity at Biden as his motorcade delivered him from a stop in Darlington Township, Pennsylvania, where he greeted officials and first responders. A sign invoked the illness of the president's late son, Beau, who died of brain cancer. Biden arrived at the site of the derailment and saw what resembled a construction site. Rigs, trucks, generators, and covered metal tanks resembling above-ground swimming pools dotted the landscape. Local officials, including the mayor, briefed the president.
During the visit, a separate rally was planned for Donald Trump, who visited East Palestine several weeks after the derailment. Mike Young, the rally's coordinator, described the grass-roots event as "anti-Biden," saying the president should have been an immediate presence on the ground. The EPA conducted an intense cleanup and says the community's air, water, and soil are now safe. Still, some say more must be done. Krissy Hylton said that EPA tests indicate her home should be safe but that independent tests point to a risk of chemical exposure. "My home is not safe to go back to," she said between sobs. "This has been devastating. No matter what day it says on the calendar, it's still February 3, 2023, to me."
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