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 spewed 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.
The Feb. 3, 2023, crash of a Norfolk Southern Corp. train carrying toxic chemicals touched off a political and environmental firestorm that spurred 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 easily won by former President Donald Trump 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 victory plans in 2024. Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio Democrat and a strong Biden ally, also is seeking another term this year.
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, White House press secretary Karine 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.