(AmericanProsperity.com) – The Biden administration said on July 5 President Joe Biden is planning to visit East Palestine in Ohio. The commander-in-chief’s visit would take place five months after the Norfolk Southern train derailment disaster that sent toxic chemicals into the sky and into local waterways. Political leaders from both parties have criticized President Biden for refusing to go to the area as soon as the accident happened.
During a press conference, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the president will visit the people of East Palestine and determine the gravity of the situation. However, when a reporter asked her about a specific date for the visit, she refused to answer. Jean-Pierre only noted that the president has done numerous travels to other places over the last few weeks.
When another journalist insisted, the press secretary said that while the president will visit the area, the White House doesn’t have “anything to share” on the “upcoming dates.” She pointed out that as soon as the White House has a specific date for the visit, they will share it with the media.
Finally, Jean-Pierre mentioned that the Environmental Protection Agency is examining Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s appeal for a major disaster declaration. Jean-Pierre told reporters that Norfolk Southern has already been instructed by this agency to bear the costs associated with the cleanup.
On February 3, a Norfolk Southern freight train had an accident while passing through Ohio’s East Palestine, which is a village near the border with Pennsylvania. A couple of minutes after the derailment, locals started sharing images and videos about the accident on social media.
Hours later, authorities executed a controlled burn of the toxic chemicals at the crash site as a way to prevent a large explosion. However, experts immediately raised concerns about possible health and environmental threats because of this measure.
During a February 21 press conference, East Palestine Republican Mayor Trent Conaway criticized the president for visiting Ukraine instead of the Ohio small town. He told reporters this act represented “the biggest slap in the face,” which tells people from East Palestine that the president “doesn’t care about us.”
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