EPA Administrator Michael Regan tweeted late Monday that he will visit East Palestine, Ohio on Tuesday. The news represents a change of plans for Regan, who was scheduled to leave on Saturday, February 18 for a seven day climate tour of Africa.
Tomorrow I’m heading back to East Palestine, Ohio.@EPA’s top priority is the health and safety of this community. And tomorrow I’ll be announcing additional measures to protect the people of East Palestine and hold Norfolk Southern accountable. pic.twitter.com/jg5qsBkZGx
— Michael Regan, U.S. EPA (@EPAMichaelRegan) February 21, 2023
Regan’s sudden change of plans comes three days after former President Donald Trump announced that he will be visiting East Palestine, Ohio on Wednesday.
April Ryan of theGrio tweeted on Saturday that EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s seven day climate change tour to Africa, scheduled to begin that day, has been postponed.
SCOOP @theGrio: @EPAMichaelRegan has postponed the trip to Africa with @idriselba due to the aftermath of the toxic train derailment in East Palestine,Ohio this month. On the ground in Ohio are @EPA @HHSGov @CDCgov officials. https://t.co/JAUC6CQgO7
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) February 18, 2023
On Thursday, Ryan reported:
Actor and humanitarian Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina Elba will accompany Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan on Saturday to sub-Saharan Africa, theGrio exclusively reports.
The NAACP and Golden Globe award-winning star, Mrs. Elba and Regan will travel to Ghana and Sierra Leone to focus on the issue of climate change and ways to combat its devastating ripple effects around the globe.
EPA confirmed to The Star News Network on Tuesday that Administrator Regan’s trip to Africa has been postponed and he will visit East Palestine, Ohio on Tuesday.
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Michael Patrick Leahy is the Editor in Chief of The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Leahy on Twitter at @michaelpleahy.
Photo “Michael Regan” by Michael Regan.