Trump Administration Launches New Probe Into East Palestine Train Derailment

In a joint Friday letter, Vice President JD Vance and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin asked the EPA’s acting inspector general, Nicole Murley, to conduct a “comprehensive, independent” probe into the Biden administration’s handling of the incident.

The request follows this week’s release of a government watchdog group’s initial assessment of the derailment, which found that chemicals spilled during this event could have endangered thousands of Americans.

“For over three years, the people of East Palestine and surrounding communities have lived with the aftermath of the critical decisions of the Biden-Harris Administration and Norfolk Southern,” Vance and Zeldin wrote.

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Long overdue, thank you for your attention to this matter.

— Red Dirt Wreck'Em

(@OkieDad918) August 28, 2026

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Biden administration probably thought East Palestine was somewhere near Gaza

— james (@james18003592) August 29, 2026

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I’ve been thinking about the people of East Palestine and have been wondering what’s going on with that. Glad to see you are formally starting an investigation!

— Alfred (@alfredponders) August 28, 2026

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If shortcomings are identified, the letter says the Trump EPA will consider corrective actions including changes to emergency-response procedures and environmental monitoring standards.

The letter also references a recent EPA enforcement action against a government subcontractor whose analysts were found to have altered groundwater sampling data collected at the derailment site in fall 2025.

“For over three years, the people of East Palestine and surrounding communities have lived with the fateful decisions of the Biden Administration, State of Ohio, and Norfolk Southern,” the letter states.

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