Biden Admin Takes On Toxic Waste Cleanup In Ohio, Then Suspends It Immediately
Under the leadership of the Biden administration, cleanup of contaminated waste in East Palestine, Ohio, is progressing very slowly.
Debra Shore, regional administrator for the EPA, said the EPA ordered Norfolk Southern to “suspend” waste removal outside the city, CBS reported.
On February 3, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine. A few days later, the poisonous chemicals on board were burned, leading to the evacuation of the city. As residents were allowed to return, they began to complain of skin rashes and other ailments.
Due to air quality issues, Norfolk Southern cleaned up spilled chemicals and hauled away contaminated water and soil. According to CNN, officials in Texas and Michigan reacted angrily after learning their states were the intended recipients of the toxic waste.
According to CBS, Shor said the whole thing is stopping now that the Environmental Protection Agency is in charge.
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“Everyone wants this contagion to disappear from the community. They don’t want to be disturbed and they don’t want the smell, and it’s our duty to the people of East Palestine to get them out of the community as soon as possible,” Shor said.
She said the EPA will now decide where to send the waste.
“EPA will ensure that all waste is safely and legally disposed of at EPA-certified facilities to prevent further release of hazardous substances and impact on communities,” Shor said.
The Environmental Protection Agency is looking into “long-distance transport of some of this waste and finding appropriate approved and certified places to receive the waste,” Shor said.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office said Texas will no longer accept liquid waste, meaning it remains parked near East Palestine.
“Currently, about 102,000 gallons of liquid waste and 4,500 cubic yards of solid waste remain in warehouses in East Palestine, not counting the five trucks returned to the village. As cleaning proceeds, additional solid and liquid waste is generated,” DeWine’s office said.
Residents of East Palestine expressed their dissatisfaction with the federal response to the natural disaster that engulfed their city.
Last week, Mayor Trent Conaway expressed anger that President Joe Biden, who did not visit the community, is focusing on Ukraine.
“That was the biggest slap in the face,” he said, according to Fox News.
“That means he doesn’t care about us right now. He can send any agency he wants, but this morning I found out that he was in Ukraine, giving away millions of dollars to people there, not to us … on President’s Day in our country, so I’m furious, ”he said. .
While EPA officials have said air and water in East Palestine pose no threat to residents, external analysis shows nine airborne pollutants are at levels that could cause long-term health risks, The Washington Post reported.
Researchers at Texas A&M University said they have found chemicals associated with “eye and lung irritation, headaches and other symptoms,” as well as some that are potentially cancer-causing.
“We cannot say whether these levels are causing the current symptoms,” said one of the researchers, Weihsue Chiu, noting that it could take months or even years for any negative health effects to manifest.
However, the EPA “would definitely like to make sure these higher levels found are lowered before they go away and announce that everything has been cleared,” Chiu said.
This article originally appeared in The Western Journal.
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