EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — When Jessica Conard heard that President Joe Biden would visit her community in East Palestine, she felt a sense of relief. Biden’s presence, she believed, would signal to the world that nothing short of disaster happened here in February, when a Norfolk Southern train skipped the tracks and spilled thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals into the environment. All these months later, she’s still waiting for him. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times “I
The White House insists President Joe Biden will visit the scene of the disaster, but still won t say when. Residents say that is simply not good enough and that their community has been ignored.
The White House has said that Mr. Biden still plans to visit the site of a toxic derailment in February. But his absence feels like disrespect to many people in East Palestine, Ohio.