A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)

President Donald Trump said his administration will provide $10 million to East Palestine toward its ongoing economic recovery after a Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment. In a social media post, Trump, a Republican, wrote the $10 million would come from the U.S. Economic Development Administration “to help the community continue its Economic Recovery from the disastrous train derailment. We want to see East Palestine grow, flourish and be able to take advantage of our now BOOMING Economy. It was horrible what was allowed to happen there, and we are with you for the LONG HAUL.”

U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, who represents East Palestine in the House, said: “This community has been through more than most can imagine. Families lost trust in their future, small businesses fought to survive and yet the people of East Palestine never gave up.”

U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, a Republican, said of Trump’s $10 million commitment: “I look forward to working with (him) to make sure this community is stronger than ever.”

The National Institutes of Health in June announced a five-year, $10 million research initiative to address and assess the long-term health impacts in the Columbiana County village as a result of the train derailment.

Vice President J.D. Vance, who was a vocal advocate for East Palestine when he was a U.S. senator from Ohio, pushed for the initiative.

During a Feb. 16, 2024, visit to East Palestine, then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat, announced six NIH grants, totaling $1.3 million, to study the short-term and long-term effects of the derailment.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation were in East Palestine shortly after the derailment that led to the release of toxic chemicals.

But Trump and other Republicans from criticizing Biden and his administration for its response to the disaster and Biden taking more than a year to visit the village.

At the start of Trump’s third presidential campaign, he visited East Palestine on Feb. 22, 2023, 19 days after the derailment, contending Biden’s response to the disaster was “indifference and betrayal in some cases.”

In his latest social media post on East Palestine, Trump said the people of the village “were disgracefully betrayed and forgotten about” by Biden.

Rulli added: “With this investment, President Trump has once again shown his commitment to this community in stark contrast to the neglect of the previous administration.”

About 50 Norfolk Southern railroad cars, including 10 carrying

hazardous materials, derailed Feb. 3, 2023, in East Palestine. Five of the cars, carrying vinyl chloride, were purposely blown up three days later releasing the toxic chemical into the air.

The derailment and controlled explosion caused the evacuation of thousands of residents of East Palestine and nearby communities.

Several residents have concerns about health issues from the release of toxic chemicals into the air, soil and water. They have reported headaches as well as respiratory, skin and eye irritations.