As the Biden administration is under fire for its lack of response to the derailed train carrying chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Thursday it would be doling out over half a billion dollars for “environmental justice.”
The Biden administration announced on Thursday that the EPA, through its new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program, would be giving away $550 million in grants to “11 entities to serve as grantmakers to community-based projects that reduce pollution.”
The selected grantmakers are supposed to “develop an efficient, simplified process so that organizations that historically have faced barriers to receiving funding can more seamlessly apply for grants that address environmental harms and risks.”
It is a part of the Biden administration’s so-called “whole-of-government” to achieve “environmental justice.”
However, this comes as the Biden administration blew its response to the train operated by Norfolk Southern carrying chemicals derailing and spilling the chemicals on February 3. As previously reported, cleanup crews ended up igniting five train cars to get rid of toxic chemicals.
The administration was ridiculed for not acting fast enough.
As Ohio politicians sprung into action immediately after the derailment, President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg were nowhere to be found near East Palestine for nearly three weeks. However, just one day after former President Donald Trump visited, Buttigieg finally visited.
While there, Buttigieg’s press secretary refused to answer key questions from reporters because of the presence of cameras. This arose after the transportation secretary came under fire for having a delayed response to transportation-related incidents over the past several months. Earlier this week, Buttigieg said he would visit the area “when the time is right.” Ironically, the time seemed “right” conveniently after Trump visited.
Trump, who has announced another bid for the White House easier this year, visited East Palestine on Wednesday where he delivered truckloads of bottled water in addition to buying food for the police department, fire department, as well as everyone who was in an East Palestine McDonald’s following remarks he made to the small town.
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While Trump was there, he criticized Biden, who instead traveled to Ukraine this week, and “Boot Edge Edge,” who he said should have traveled to East Palestine a “long time ago.”
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Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.