WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden will visit East Palestine sometime in February, the White House announced Wednesday. Coming more than a year after a train derailment spilled toxic chemicals into the community, the trip is placing a renewed spotlight on rail safety legislation that has stalled in Congress.

Biden had promised last year that he would visit East Palestine, where thousands of residents were displaced by the chemical spill caused by the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train. The president has since faced criticism for taking so long to visit, especially since he made a priority of visiting sites of other disasters, such as the wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui and hurricanes in Florida.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg—who himself faced criticism for not visiting East Palestine until nearly three weeks after the derailment—said the presidential visit would focus new attention on the town. 

“The President of the United States is visiting this community as a way to demonstrate how much he cares about it. He always has,” Buttigieg said.

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, dismissed the planned visit as too little, too late.

“I think it’s a political stunt. A year after the tragedy, I don’t know what the president showing up for a press conference actually does to help the people of East Palestine,” Vance said.

Since the derailment, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has inspected tens of thousands of freight cars and miles of track. It has also negotiated for most Class 1 rail workers to receive paid sick leave and proposed other new rules.

Still, Class 1 freight railroads reported 200 derailments on main tracks from January to December of 2023, up 13.6 percent more than in all of 2022.

In a one-on-one interview with Spectrum News’ Harri Leigh, Buttigieg explained USDOT doesn’t have the power to enact enough change on its own.

“This is why we need to go further than even what’s possible under today’s law,” he said. “There have been a number of actions, steps, and improvements that matter. But the Railway Safety Act that’s just sitting there in Congress, even though it’s got bipartisan sponsorship, really needs to become law.”

The Railway Safety Act was championed by a bipartisan group of senators from Ohio and Pennsylvania. It would require a two-person crew for certain freight trains, expand training for local first responders and increase the top penalties for railroads violating safety regulations.

Currently, even for egregious violations that result in casualties, USDOT can only fine up to $225,445.

“While that might be a lot to you and me, that’s not a lot for a multi-billion-dollar corporation,” Buttigieg said.

Norfolk Southern posted operating revenues of $12.2 billion in 2023 and has made $103 million worth of commitments to East Palestine and surrounding areas.

The Railway Safety Act and a similar bill in the House, the RAIL Act, have yet to be voted on.

East Palestine residents have been calling for a Major Disaster Declaration that would unlock millions of dollars in federal aid. Biden administration officials avoided promising that step during a press call Wednesday but said the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator, established by FEMA in September to address the derailment, is working on a locally driven, long-term recovery plan.