Buttigieg Schedules Visit to Ohio Derailment Site Amid Mounting Criticism

Secretary of the Department of Transportation Pete Buttigieg delivers remarks on new transportation initiatives at an event in the South Court Auditorium at Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on March 7, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed a visit to troubled East Palestine, Ohio—nearly three weeks after a Norfolk Southern train derailed there leaking toxic chemicals into the community.

Earlier this week, Buttigieg demurred on announcing a specific date and time for a visit, telling reporters only that he was planning to do so “when the time is right.”