Biden admin insists president has 'laser focus' on East Palestine despite not visiting for a year

President Biden visited East Palestine, Ohio, on Friday where administration officials said he has had a "laser focus" on the issues facing the rural village following a hazardous train derailment that released more than a million gallons of toxic chemicals in the environment, and despite the president not visiting the area for more than a year after the disaster. 

"Mr. President, thank you for your laser focus on this community," Michael Regan, administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, said after officials toured the recovery site where dozens of Norfolk Southern train cars derailed on Feb. 3, 2023. 

The president has been heavily criticized by Republicans and local residents for not visiting the rural Ohio village, which is located in Columbiana County on the state's border with Pennsylvania, in the weeks and months that followed. 

The resulted in many residents on both sides of the border having to abandon their homes and suffering from various ailments. The Atlanta-based railroad has been making payments to residents forced to relocate but announced in December that the financial aid would stop on Feb. 9. 

OHIO RAILROAD WORKER CRUSHED TO DEATH BY REMOTE-CONTROLLED TRAIN 

President Biden speaks after touring the East Palestine Recovery Site on Friday in East Palestine, Ohio, more than a year after a freight train derailment caused an environmental disaster in the village.  (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The National Transportation Safety Board said 38 Norfolk Southern cars derailed, and a fire damaged another dozen train cars. 

"Let me be clear. While there are acts of God. This was an act of greed that was 100% preventable," Biden said Friday. "Norfolk Southern failed in its responsibility."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the railroad company. 

Norfolk Southern said it has spent roughly $1.1 billion in its response to the derailment. The company says it has invested $103.2 million in the community, including $21 million distributed to residents.

President Biden talks as he tours the East Palestine Recovery Site on Friday in East Palestine, Ohio, more than a year after a freight train derailment caused an environmental disaster in the village.  (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

During his remarks, Biden announced the awarding of six grants to the National Institutes of Health to study the short and long-term impacts "of what happened here."

East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway said the community refuses to be defined by a single event. He called for bipartisan federal railway legislation and federal tax relief for funds received from Norfolk Southern.

"President Biden, your long-awaited visit to our village today allows us to focus on the things we agree with," Conaway said. 

Biden claimed in September that he simply had not had time with his busy schedule to visit the Ohio town. His lack of a visit came in contrast to former President Trump, who met with residents of East Palestine on Feb. 22, 2023, just weeks after the incident. Joining Trump was Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio.

The aftermath of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed is seen still burning, Feb. 4, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio. The train derailed the night before, releasing toxic chemicals into the environment. (AP Photo / Gene J. Puskar / File)

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"You are not forgotten. We stand with you. We pray for you. And we will stand with you and your fight to help ensure the accountability that you deserve," Trump told the crowd at the time. "The community has shown the tough and resilient heart of America. And that's what it is. This is really America right here. We're standing in America."

"You are not forgotten. We stand with you. We pray for you. And we will stand with you and your fight to help ensure the accountability that you deserve." 

Vance criticized Biden for announcing his visit to the community a year after the disaster. 

"I cannot get the White House to give a crap about these people," he told the Wall Street Journal in a story published Thursday. "They gave my deputy chief of staff a lecture about what the National Institutes of Health does" when he asked for an NIH grant."

Earlier this month, GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno weighed in, saying Biden, "refused to stand with the patriots of East Palestine when it really mattered. He could have united our country by showing support to a right-leaning community, but instead he ignored them." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.