President Trump announced Thursday night that his administration will deliver 10 million dollars in economic assistance to East Palestine, Ohio, as the community continues to recover from the 2023 train derailment and chemical spill.
The announcement came just days after the third anniversary of the February 3, 2023 disaster, which released toxic chemicals into the air, soil, and water and forced residents to evacuate for months. President Trump said the people of East Palestine were betrayed and forgotten under the previous administration and pledged that his administration would stand with them for the long haul.
“To the Great People of East Palestine, Ohio, who were disgracefully betrayed and forgotten about by Crooked Joe Biden — ‘TRUMP’ has never forgotten about you, and never will,” the president wrote on Truth Social. He said the 10 million dollars would be distributed through the Economic Development Administration to support continued economic recovery, alongside a long term health study for residents.
The Economic Development Administration, part of the Commerce Department, focuses on strengthening regional economies and supporting long term job growth. The funding is intended to help stabilize and rebuild a community that was already facing economic decline before the derailment.
The train accident involved the release of hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride. Authorities conducted a controlled burn of rail cars carrying the chemical to prevent an explosion, a move that also sent additional contaminants into the air. Residents were instructed to remain indoors as emergency crews responded.
East Palestine, once home to more than 5,500 residents in the 1970s, had declined to roughly 4,700 residents by 2020. Local leaders have said businesses left the area in the wake of the disaster, compounding economic challenges for the village.
President Trump visited East Palestine shortly after the derailment in 2023, meeting with residents and delivering supplies. At the time, he criticized the federal response and said the community’s perseverance had been met with indifference. Former President Biden did not visit until roughly a year after the incident.
Norfolk Southern previously reached a 600 million dollar class action settlement with many residents over property damage and personal injury claims. A separate wrongful death lawsuit remains ongoing, alleging that the chemical spill and cleanup response contributed to multiple deaths and that federal agencies failed to adequately warn residents about potential health risks.
The post President Trump Announces $10 Million For East Palestine Recovery Effort appeared first on Real News Now.
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