On the second anniversary of the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Vice President JD Vance visited the community to reaffirm his commitment to its recovery. Standing alongside local leaders, Vance assured residents, "This community will not be forgotten," as he pledged ongoing support for environmental and economic restoration efforts. The derailment, which resulted in a spill of hazardous chemicals in the area, has left lasting impacts on the small Ohio community. Vance’s visit highlights the ongoing struggle for justice and resources as the town strives to heal.
Vance informed East Palestine residents that the Trump administration would succeed at rebuilding the community, whereas the Biden administration fell short. He emphasized that the new administration is committed to the long term. Vance, an Ohio native, assured that those impacted by the devastating train derailment would be remembered and “will not be left behind.”
He said he talked to President Donald Trump, and both of them are committed to finishing the cleanup of East Palestine. He called it a “tragedy and a shame” that was not completed during the Biden administration.
Vance also stressed his desire to aid in revitalizing the local economy.
”We are committed not just to finishing the environmental side of the cleanup but hopefully seeing East Palestine built back better and stronger and more prosperous than it was before the disaster happened in the first place,” he said.
“But you do now have a government that cares about you, that’s going to work on these problems, and it isn’t going to snap its fingers and fix everything, because that’s not how any of this works, but it’s going to fight every single day to make sure you get the infrastructure, the redevelopment aid, and certainly the health and environmental aid that you need to get back on your feet,” he continued.
On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train consisting of 141 loaded cars, nine empty cars, and three locomotives derailed in East Palestine. Thirty-eight of the vehicles, including 11 containing hazardous materials such as vinyl chloride, benzene residue, hydrogen chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene, went off the tracks due to a failed wheel bearing.
The situation worsened just three days later when officials ordered a controlled burn of five tank cars filled with toxic vinyl chloride, fearing explosions that were later found to be unfounded. The burn created a dark cloud over the town, raising concerns among residents about long-term health effects. It was confirmed that the burn was unnecessary, as the tank cars were cooling and posed no explosion risk. Over 177,000 tons of soil and 67 million gallons of wastewater have been removed from East Palestine, with Norfolk Southern's cleanup costs exceeding $1 billion.
President Joe Biden did not visit the train derailment site more than a year after the incident occurred.
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