EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Visits East Palestine, Ohio, with Vice President JD Vance to Mark Two-Year Anniversary of Train Derailment
This was Zeldin’s first official trip as EPA Administrator
WASHINGTON – On Monday, February 3, 2025, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin took his first official trip in his new role, to East Palestine, Ohio, with Vice President JD Vance, to mark the two-year anniversary of the train derailment.
“After the tragic train derailment left East Palestine, Ohio, ravaged with toxic chemicals, the local community needed strong leaders to fight for them. Then-Senator JD Vance was one of the first elected officials to do so, and President Trump was on the scene within 19 days. East Palestine has a voice with President Trump and Vice President Vance in the White House. This administration will fight hard to make sure every American has access to clean air, land, and water. It was an honor to meet with local residents, and I leave this trip more motivated to this cause than ever before. I will make sure EPA continues to clean up East Palestine as quickly as possible,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Vance and Zeldin started their day at the site of the trail derailment to survey the cleanup efforts. Afterwards, they participated in a meeting with local residents and community leaders to learn more about what can be done to complete this process in a timely fashion, which was followed by a press conference.
Since the derailment took place on February 3, 2023, 219,823 tons of contaminated soil have been removed, more than 115 million air quality data points have been collected, and 70 million gallons of impacted water have been managed. Restoration of the derailment site and adjacent support areas is now in its final stages.