On February 3, a 141-car Norfolk Southern train derailed in the eastern Ohio town of East Palestine. About 50 of the rail cars were damaged, including five tank cars carrying toxic and carcinogenic vinyl chloride. Safety crews vented and burned the vinyl chloride. The town was ordered evacuated, 'Leave Now': Hundreds of Residents Near Site of East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment Ordered to Evacuate.

To call the official response tepid would give it too much credit.

The Biden White House has essentially ignored the issue. Our alleged Transportation Secretary, the poster child for Equity in this regime, was more concerned about too many white guys getting hired on construction projects (Pete Buttigieg Is too Busy Blaming White Men for Things to Be Bothered With the East Palestine Disaster) to pay any attention. I guess the men there weren't on maternity leave or enjoying the pleasures of gay parenthood, so they don't count. When he finally did comment, it was to lie in an attempt to place the blame for the accident on the Trump Administration (Debunking the Claim That Donald Trump Is to Blame for the Ohio Train Disaster).

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine had been flying top cover for Biden's inactivity.