Biden vows accountability for ‘act of greed’ a year after deadly train derailment in Ohio

President Joe Biden on Friday promised the people of East Palestine, Ohio to keep federal resources and personnel working on mitigating the effects of last year’s deadly train derailment and chemical spill “until the job is done” and “every need is met”.

Mr Biden spoke in the Ohio village, where last year a derailed freight train sparked a fire which spewed a toxic chemical cloud and stoked fears of air and water contamination, just over one year to the day when the Norfolk Southern train jumped its’ tracks and began spilling its’ toxic contents onto the ground.

Flanked by Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael Regan and East Palestine mayor Trent Conaway, Mr Biden described being briefed on “herculean” efforts that have been undertaken in the year since the accident.

“It's absolutely amazing what this community rose to,” he said.

But Mr Biden told the crowd that the federal government was “not going home, no matter what, until the job is done”.

He then added: “It’s not done, yet”.

The president said there was “a lot more” to be done, and promised to keep federal resources in play “until the very end” when “every need is met”.

He also promised that his administration would “continue to hold Norfolk Southern accountable” both “now and in the future,” and said the government would step in to fill any gaps in the railroad’s restitution efforts.

“What they do not make whole, what they cannot make whole, what isn't made whole, the government will make whole,” said the president, who said the government has “an obligation” to look after the town’s people.

He praised East Palestine residents for their resilience, telling them he could see the tragedy would not define them — and if it did, would do so “in a