Former President Donald Trump, left, and others applauded for E. Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, at the podium, during the press conference at the fire station Wednesday afternoon...by R. Michael Semple

EAST PALESTINE — During a visit to East Palestine, the site of a horrific train derailment, former President Donald Trump criticized the response from President Joe Biden and his administration to the disaster — saying it was “met with indifference and betrayal in some cases.”

Trump, a Republican who is running again for president next year, said Wednesday: “What this community needs now are not excuses or all of the other things we’ve been hearing, but answers and results, and that’s what I think you’re going to see.”

The federal government has been criticized by some for its response, though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S Department of Transportation have been in East Palestine since shortly after the Feb. 3 derailment that led to the release of toxic chemicals.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed Feb. 15 to deploy medical personnel to the village after requests from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, who has complimented the response of the federal government to the disaster.

One holdup was the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which initially told DeWine that East Palestine didn’t qualify for its assistance because the derailment didn’t cause property damage, but then agreed Friday to send a team to support ongoing operations.

Around the time of that announcement, Fox News reported that Trump would be visiting East Palestine on Wednesday.

Trump took credit for FEMA’s reversal, saying the agency made a “quick, rapid change” when he decided to come here.

He then went on to praise FEMA, saying he had a “great relationship” with it during his presidency and “I found them to be tremendous and great in every way.”

He added of FEMA: “They could have been a few weeks earlier, at least a week earlier and they decided to do it this way, and it came from the top and so we have to understand it.”

Trump also said he hoped Biden, a Democrat who plans to seek re-election next year, can provide financial assistance to East Palestine and should visit. Trump criticized Biden for visiting Ukraine rather than East Palestine.

Biden hasn’t announced plans to come to East Palestine though U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is scheduled to visit today and EPA Administrator Michael Regan has come twice.

Trump said he would return if the federal government doesn’t give East Palestine “the treatment that you need.”

East Palestine is located in Columbiana County, a reliable Republican area that gave Trump 71 percent of its vote in the 2020 election.

WHITE HOUSE

The White House took aim Wednesday at Trump and congressional Republicans for rolling back rail regulations, including suspending a requirement on trains carrying flammable liquid from having faster brakes, as part of a broader deregulation effort.

“Congressional Republicans and former Trump administration officials owe East Palestine an apology for selling them out to rail industry lobbyists when they dismantled (Barack) Obama-Biden rail safety precautions as well as EPA powers to rapidly contain spills,” said Andrew Bates, a White House spokesman.

Trump did not address those issues during his 10-minute speech Wednesday at an East Palestine fire station after meeting briefly with local officials.

Trump said he came to the village “to show our love and support for our fellow Americans in this hour of need.” He praised the work of firefighters, police and other first responders to the derailment and cleanup.

“To the people of East Palestine and to the nearby communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, we told you loud and clear: you are not forgotten,” Trump said. “You are not forgotten. We stand with you and pray for you and we’ll stay with you in your fight for answers and the accountability you deserve.”

THE WRECK

A 150-car Norfolk Southern freight train, which included about 20 carrying hazardous materials, derailed Feb. 3 in a fiery crash. It caused an evacuation of most of the village as well as those living across the Pennsylvania state line.

As the temperature in one of rail cars got higher, the concern was it would probably explode and pose a life-threatening danger, sending shrapnel into the air and traveling for almost a mile, DeWine has said. It was decided Feb. 5 that a controlled burn of five cars would be done a day later, releasing toxic chemicals into the air and water.

On Feb. 10 the federal EPA listed all of the hazardous chemicals released into the air, soil and water by the controlled burn though vinyl chloride previously was discussed by government officials.

About 3,500 fish in nearby waterways died in the first few days after the controlled burn. There have been reports of people getting sick and animals either dying or becoming ill in and around East Palestine since the derailment.

Testing shows the air is safe and that the city’s drinking water also is safe though Sulphur Run, a creek near the derailment site, has been contaminated and dammed, and Leslie Run has issues though the quality is improving, DeWine said.

Those with private wells in the area are encouraged to drink bottled water until the results of samples taken are returned, DeWine said.

Trump brought about 14,000 bottles of water with him along with thousands of gallons of cleaning supplies.

Trump said of the incident: “That was a tragedy, close to an unbelievable tragedy. It could have been really bad. Thank goodness that didn’t happen and you’re going to have tremendous help now. FEMA will do the job.”

OTHER COMMENTS

East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, who was with Trump, said firefighters “saved” his community.

“This could have been a very different situation,” he said.

U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, a Cincinnati Republican who also was with Trump, said: “We can’t forget the people of East Palestine. There will be a rebuilding effort. We need to finish the cleanup effort. That’s the most important thing, but most of all that over the next six months, 12 months, two years that we don’t forget the people of East Palestine that have been affected by this tragedy.”

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, whose district includes East Palestine and joined Trump, said: “This is the kind of tragedy that should never come on a rural community like this. It’s extremely unfortunate”

He added: “I believe this community is not only going to recover, but it’s going to be stronger than when they started.”

dskolnick@vindy.com

dskolnick@tribtoday.com