Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg heads to East Palestine, Ohio, Thursday, where the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to release preliminary findings of its investigation into Norfolk Southern train derailment Carrying dangerous materials.
The 38-car train that crashed on February 3 raised serious health and environmental concerns for residents of the area, who have expressed frustration with the federal government’s slow response to the crisis. While in East Palestine, Buttigieg will meet with residents and receive an update on the NTSB investigation.
Federal Rail Administration Director Amit Bose and Deputy Director of the Pipeline Safety and Hazardous Materials Administration Tristan Brown will join Buttigieg on the ground. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Reagan visited eastern Palestine.
“As the minister said, he will go when appropriate and will not detract from the emergency response effort,” a Department of Transportation spokesperson said on Wednesday. The secretary is going now that the EPA has said it is transitioning from the emergency response phase and moving into the long-term remediation phase. His visit also coincides with the release of the NTSB’s factual findings of the investigation into the cause of the derailment. The secretary will be allowed to hear from USDOT investigators who were on the ground within Hours of derailment in support of the NTSB investigation.”
in Interview with CBS News on TuesdayButtigieg said he did not visit East Palestine sooner because he wanted to give the National Telecommunications Bureau and emergency workers space to do their jobs.
“It followed standard practice for transport secretaries in the first days after an accident, allowing the NTSB to lead safety work and get out of their way,” he said. “But I am very keen to have conversations with people in eastern Palestine about how this will affect them.”
Buttigieg’s trip comes one day after former President Trump visited the town. Trump has praised local officials for helping them in an “hour of need” before He attacks the Biden administration’s response as “betrayal”. When asked about the fact that Buttigieg had not actually traveled to East Palestine, Trump said, “He should have been here a long time ago.”
He also invited the villagers buttigieg or chief to visit.
“Where is Buttigieg’s house? Where is he?” an attendee asked East Palestine Mayor Trent Conway, a Republican, during a city council meeting Feb. 15, according to video captured by CBS affiliate WOIO in Ohio.
Conway replied, “I don’t know.”
In an appearance on Fox News Monday, Conway said that in light of the fact that the president has not visited East Palestine since the derailment, Biden’s trip to Ukraine came with “an even bigger slap in the face.”
Jacob Rosen contributed to this report
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