Toxic sewage from Ohio train derailment moved to Texas

DEER PARK, Texas (AP) – Toxic sewage used to fight a fire after a train derailment in Ohio was taken to suburban Houston for disposal, according to a Texas county official who said there were unresolved issues regarding the material’s transportation and disposal.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said at a press conference Thursday that 500,000 gallons (1.8 million liters) of sewage had been delivered to Deer Park, Texas.

“I know our community was just as stunned by this news as I was,” Hidalgo said. “I also want people to know that there are many things we don’t know but should know. It doesn’t mean that something is wrong. And I want to emphasize this point.”

Hidalgo said the county on Wednesday learned of the diversion of sewage from a Feb. 3 derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio, prompting an evacuation when toxic chemicals were burned after they were fired from five derailed rail tank cars from vinyl chloride, which were in danger of explosion.

Waste water was delivered to Texas Molecular, which dumps hazardous waste into the ground for disposal. The company told KHOU-TV, a CBS subsidiary, that it has experience in managing this type of disposal.

“Our technology safely removes hazardous components from the biosphere. We are part of the solution to reduce risks and protect the environment, whether in our area or in other places that need the opportunities we offer to protect the environment,” the company said in a statement.

Hidalgo said the Texas Molecular Company informed county officials of the delivery of half a million gallons of firefighting water, with an expectation that another 1.5 million gallons would be delivered to the site by about 30 trucks a day.

“This is a very real problem: yesterday we were told that the materials would arrive only to find out today that they have been here for a week,” said Hidalgo, who wants more information about the precautions taken at the injection well.

The delivery also raises questions about modes of transportation, which she says could include trains, and the possible health impacts of workers involved in the transportation and communities between the Ohio crash site and the burial site in Deer Park, one of 34 communities in USA. Harris County.

Uncertainty remains even after discussions between the county and officials from the federal Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Environmental Quality Commission and other industry and environmental experts, Hidalgo said.

“Government officials have readily provided the information they have, but we learn that they themselves do not seem to have complete information,” she said. “It’s not clear to me who has the full picture of what’s going on here, and that’s the problem,”

She noted that Harris County has about 10 injection wells capable of receiving hazardous commercial waste, making the area one of the few places where materials can be disposed of. But she said Vickery, Ohio and Romulus, Michigan have similar facilities that can also handle wastewater and are closer to the crash site.

“There may be logistical reasons for all this. There may be economic reasons as well. Maybe Texas Molecular has outperformed the Michigan venture,” Hidalgo said. “It doesn’t mean that something nefarious is going on, but we need to know the answer to this question.”

Hidalgo added that she first learned that Harris County was the burial site from a journalist, “not from a regulator, not from a company,” which she said was “unacceptable.”

Dr. George Gillen, executive director of the Houston Environmental Institute, said the chemical is “very, very toxic” but the risk to the public is minimal.

“These injections in some cases are typically 4,000 or 5,000 feet below any drinking water aquifer,” said Guillen, a professor of biology and environmental sciences at the University of Houston Clear Lake.

Tammy Baxter, a resident of Guillen and Deer Park, said their biggest concern was the transport of chemicals over 1,300 miles (2,090 kilometers) from East Palestine to Deer Park.

“There should be a closer injection into a deep well,” Baxter told KTRK. “Stupid to put it on the roadway. We have accidents on a regular basis… It’s silly to move it that far.”

Transportation Minister Pete Buttigieg, who visited the crash site on Thursday, warned Norfolk Southern, the railroad responsible for the crash, to honor its promises to clean up the mess near Eastern Palestine and help the city recover.

Buttigieg also announced a package of reforms to improve rail safety as regulators try to tighten safety rules.

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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

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