Biden Rejects Ohio's Request for Federal Aid After Train Disaster in East Palestine

casual · Feb 18, 2023

Things are becoming dire for the residents of East Palestine, Ohio. It’s the site of the recent train derailment that hurled scores of toxic chemicals into the surrounding areas. Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) visited the area to assess the situation. Vance demonstrated how the surrounding area is contaminated, while Brown asked Gov. Mike DeWine to declare the area a disaster zone and request assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Biden administration refused to offer federal assistance to the area; it doesn’t meet the requirements (via Fox News):

The Biden administration turned down a request for federal disaster assistance from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in the aftermath of the train derailment in the state earlier this month that led to a large release of toxic chemicals.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) told Ohio's state government that it was not eligible for disaster assistance to help the community recover from the toxic spill, Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for DeWine, told Fox News Digital on Thursday. Tierney explained that FEMA believed the incident didn't qualify as a traditional disaster, such as a tornado or hurricane, for which it usually provides assistance.
"The DeWine Administration has been in daily contact with FEMA to discuss the need for federal support, however FEMA continues to tell Governor DeWine that Ohio is not eligible for assistance at this time," DeWine's office said in a statement earlier in the day. "Governor DeWine will continue working with FEMA to determine what assistance can be provided."

If this derailment occurred in deep blue New York or the state of Delaware—FEMA would be there. The Environmental Protection Agency finally showed up, as scores of dead fish have been bubbling up from nearby bodies of water. East Palestine, Ohio, is Trump country, so given the vindictive and cantankerous personality of Joe Biden—I wouldn’t be shocked if politics is at play here.