A year after the devastating trail derailment at East Palestine, Ohio last year, President Joe Biden will be making his first visit to the town. The president’s planned visit was confirmed by the White House on Wednesday.

According to the White House, Biden’s visit will see him meet with residents who were affected by the train derailment and the spilling of hazardous chemicals that ensued. The president will also speak about the work his administration has done so far in collaboration with local and state leaders to protect the community by ensuring railroad safety and holding Norfolk Southern responsible.

Biden’s visit to the community would come later than expected, as he was criticized for not visiting the community in the weeks and months that followed the disaster which happened on Feb. 3, 2023. He even reportedly flew directly over the town in August while on his way to an event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, per Breitbart News.

When asked earlier in the month if Biden still had it in his plans to visit East Palestine, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that he would visit.

“The president will visit when it’s most helpful to the community,” she said.

East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway has said he does not think now would be a good time for Biden to visit the town. Speaking to Fox News, he said that “the best time for him to come would be February of 2025 when he is on his book tour.”

“The President is always welcome to our town…that being said, I don’t know what he would do here now,” he added.

In contrast, former President Donald Trump visited the town on Feb. 8 when residents of the area had been cleared to return to their homes after toxic vinyl chloride gas was vented and burned.

Announcing the GOP presidential candidate’s visit, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung stated, “President Trump is meeting with the citizens of East Palestine, and he will never forget them and what they are going through. Contrast that with Biden and the federal government, who have failed them from the beginning.”

During his visit on which he was joined by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Trump encouraged the residents, saying, “You are not forgotten. We stand with you. We pray for you. And we will stand with you and your fight to help ensure the accountability that you deserve. The community has shown the tough and resilient heart of America. And that’s what it is. This is really America right here. We’re standing in America.”