MILWAUKEE — The mayor of an Ohio town where a Norfolk Southern train derailment caused catastrophic damage in 2023 said the experience taught him a valuable lesson in leadership and incompetence.
First responders were top-notch and did all they could to contain the fire and evacuate homes, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway said during a speech on the third night of the Republican National Convention. Conaway described President Joe Biden’s administration as all talk and little action.
“I guess we weren’t their type of folks,” he said. “No Hollywood elites, no Wall Street billionaires live in East Palestine, just hardworking Americans.”
Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern faced widespread criticism, federal investigations and an attempted takeover by an activist investor group after the derailment on Feb. 3, 2023.
The Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials veered off the tracks, then erupted into a huge fire that prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents.
A subsequent controlled burn of toxic vinyl chloride prompted a broader evacuation. The vinyl chloride burn caused a column of black smoke to rise over the town and led to lasting concerns about its effects on air, soil, water and the health of residents.
Norfolk Southern has said it has improved its safety practices since the wreck and invested millions into the East Palestine community and surrounding areas.
”Over the last 16 months Norfolk Southern led the industry in implementing many safety enhancements,” the company said last week.
Conaway didn’t mention the company in his convention remarks that lasted roughly three minutes. Instead, it was all about criticizing Biden.
“We needed so much, and he delivered so little,” the mayor said. “I know a thing or two about train wrecks now, and let me tell you, that’s what the Biden administration has been.”
