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By Peter Aitken and Nick Mordowanec
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President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social announced Thursday that he would commit $10 million to further recovery for the community of East Palestine, Ohio, where a train derailed in February 2023, spilling toxic chemicals into the waterway feeding into the Ohio River.
The incident proved a major disaster not only for the local community but for the Biden administration, as then President Joe Biden faced significant criticism for his handling of the crisis and its aftermath.
"We want to see East Palestine grow, flourish, and be able to take advantage of our now BOOMING Economy," Trump wrote. "It was horrible what was allowed to happen there, and we are with you for the LONG HAUL."
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Why It Matters
On February 3, 2023, a freight train carrying toxic chemicals—including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl—derailed in East Palestine about a quarter mile west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line and spilled toxins in a waterway feeding into the Ohio River.
Biden and his administration were ridiculed for their response, accused of not publicly releasing concerning health information while not providing Americans with sufficient information.
Trump, in the infancy of his third presidential campaign, traveled to East Palestine shortly after the derailment to show support for the community and touted the impact of his visit shortly thereafter on social media.
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What To Know
"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!" Trump wrote on Thursday evening.
"In addition to our Administration’s Longterm Health Study for the benefit of the residents, we are providing $10 Million Dollars through the Economic Development Administration to help the Community continue its Economic Recovery from the disastrous train derailment," the president continued.
Trump in June announced his administration would launch a five-year research initiative that would assess and address the long-term health effects of the derailment. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy at the time said that "the people of East Palestine have a right to clear, science-backed answers about the impact of their health."
However, a study published last year in the Journal of Traumatic Stress and partially funded by the National Institutes of Health found an uptick in mental disorders among potentially exposed residents of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia roughly nine months after the disaster.
Along with the mental health consequences, researchers noted how nearly three-quarters (73.9 percent) of respondents were concerned about potential toxic exposure, while another 92.1 percent were wary of associated health problems.
Update 2/19/26, 11:10 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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