Donald Trumpβs record of rolling back environmental protections was highlighted by critics on Wednesday as the ex-president visited the town of East Palestine, Ohio, and called the federal response to the toxic train derailment there earlier this month a βbetrayalβ .
Trumpβs administration, which rolled back more than 100 environmental rules in total, watered down several regulations at the behest of the rail industry.
He withdrew an Obama-era plan to require faster brakes on trains carrying highly flammable materials, shelved a rule that demanded at least two crew members on freight trains and dropped a ban on transporting liquified natural gas by rail, despite fears this could cause explosions.
βHis trip serves as a reminder that Trump and his administration made gutting transportation and environmental safety regulations a key priority of their Maga agenda,β the Democratic National Committee said in an email to reporters.
Linking to a number of media reports of his transportation policies, it said, βTrump and his administration rolled back β¦ transportation safety and environmental rules, including toxic chemical regulations,β and βTrumpβs budget proposals slashed funding for investigating accidents, enforcing environmental rules, and prosecuting environmental crimesβ.