East Palestine resident Dr. Rick Tsai on Wednesday criticized President Joe Biden, claiming the federal government has not donated “a penny” to the community ahead of Biden's expected visit.
Tsai appeared on FOX Business's “The Bottom Line” to discuss her thoughts on Biden's planned visit, one year after the train derailment. Fox co-host Sean Duffy asked local residents whether they felt Biden's newly scheduled visit was a “cynical” campaign stop. (Related: One year after toxic train derailment, Biden visits East Palestine)
“I don't mean to be sarcastic, but if you're thinking about campaigning, going to see people who didn't vote for you, helping people, maybe they haven't voted for you yet. Yes, but there are a lot of independents out there. A lot of Democrats and moderate Republicans will like this because it shows you care. And not showing up means… It shows how cynical you are. And I have to say, [is] That's how the people of East Palestine feel – is this just a cynical visit, just a cancellation of campaigning? ” Duffy asked.
Tsai agreed with Duffy, saying Biden should have been at the scene when the accident occurred, and stressed that she believes the president is “caught between a rock and a hard place.” Local residents of East Palestine went on to claim that the area received nothing from the federal government and that streams were still “contaminated” with chemicals.
“Make no mistake, we're all Americans. Like President Trump, he too would have been here at the moment it happened. So he's caught between a rock and a hard place. We don't appreciate that kind of attitude. We haven't received a penny or a bottle of water from the federal government. [Norfolk Southern] “The responsibility for causing the accident is the responsibility for cleaning up after it,” Tsai said.
“We took some media to the creek today and the EPA said they found no evidence of chemicals. They took dry soil from a park two miles from the crash site and put the soil in the creek. When you throw it into the water, the chemicals come flowing out of the stream. It's disgusting, and it's still contaminated here, and we're just being filled with lies.”
White House announced On Wednesday, Biden plans to visit Ohio City to meet with residents affected by a train derailment that released toxic chemicals in early February 2023, officials said. After the derailment, Mr. Biden failed to visit the site and instead sent other administration officials, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. (Related: Tapper confronts Buttigieg over Biden's failure to visit East Palestine)
Multiple federal agencies were sent to Palestine to clean up after the derailment, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). .Prevent toxic spills and provide assistance to residents with health concerns. The EPA has ordered Norfolk Southern, the railroad company behind the derailment, to “carry out all necessary actions related to the cleanup” by the end of February 2023, and to provide a plan for all “necessary actions.” has been formulated. according to Go to press release.
Norfolk Southern ended up paying $21. a million to 4,536 affected families. agreed As the cleanup work continues, residents will be required to pay temporary relocation costs. However, while the payment is set up, come According to Spectrum News, members of the House and Senate recently agreed to a $78 billion tax bill that includes exemptions from state and local taxes for residents.
