麻豆传媒

President Biden will travel to East Palestine, Ohio, the site of a train derailment and hazardous chemical spill, this month for a meeting with residents, according to White House officials.

The visit follows months of recovery efforts, and criticism of the government's handling of the disaster's aftermath.

Though the date is not yet finalized, the visit comes around the 1-year mark of the February 3 disaster, in which 38 cars of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed. The derailment led to a fire, chemical spill, and ultimately a controlled burn, with residents of the town evacuated.

Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation, along with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recounted their disaster response, cleanup, and regulatory efforts in a press briefing Wednesday. They also promised to continue to hold Norfolk Southern, the company behind the crash, accountable for the harm.

"We have leveraged every enforcement tool available to our agency against Norfolk Southern to ensure they complete and pay for extensive cleanup activities and we have checked their work every step of the way," said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. "Because of this oversight, and our comprehensive and ongoing science-based monitoring, we're confident that the residents of East Palestine are not at risk from impacted surface water, soil, or air from the derailment."

Ohio leadership and residents of East Palestine have criticized the government for failing to following the derailment, which would have made further federal resources available. They've also highlighted President Biden's .

According to a White House spokesperson, an exact date for President Biden's visit is not yet set. "It will be in February, but we are working closely as always with the local community to ensure what works best for them," the spokesperson added.

Chemicals spilled in the crash included vinyl chloride and n-butyl acrylate, while the controlled burn released phosgene and hydrogen chloride, which can cause serious respiratory issues. But longer-term health effects from the contents of the tankers are still unfolding. Senior administration officials said they are developing a recovery assessment with input from the community that will take into account the long-term health impacts of the spill, but did not yet announce specific measures.

The EPA has overseen cleanup efforts, including removing contaminated soil and wastewater; collecting air, water, and soil samples; and providing information and taking questions from the community through events, newsletters, and a "welcome center."

Anne Bink, associate administrator for response and recovery for FEMA, said that the agency had sent a disaster recovery coordinator "to help with the transition from incident recovery and cleanup to long-term recovery in East Palestine," who "has been on the ground and has been working with state and local officials to identify unmet needs since."

Buttigieg said his agency had poured millions of dollars into creating safer rail systems, inspecting tank cars and routes with hazardous materials, and protecting first responders with additional training. Buttigieg also urged Congress to pass legislation that would create additional safety guardrails and push industry to act.

"One year later, Congress has yet to pass the bipartisan . In the past, there have been times when Congress has stood up against the railroad lobby and stepped up on railroad safety," he said. "They should do that now."

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