KHOU 11 by Chloe Alexander 2/28/2023
EPA to resume disposing of Ohio toxic wastewater in Harris County 3 days after pausing operations, Hidalgo says
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The Environmental Protection Agency plans on resuming the disposal of the wastewater from the Ohio train derailment in Harris County starting Tuesday, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
This comes just three days after the agency said it would pause operations due to county and community leaders speaking out.
Hidalgo said the firefighting wastewater disposal is resuming again in Harris County because the EPA informed her office that heavy rain is happening at the East Palestine, Ohio derailment site, and disposal facilities in Ohio and Indiana have reached capacity limitations.
"The EPA has assured my office the transport will resume with the appropriate oversight," Hidalgo wrote in a statement. "At our request, there will be EPA boots on the ground supervising the disposal around the clock. Additionally, we are in touch with DOT to verify the extra precautions being taken for safe transport."
Hidalgo said she wasn't aware this was happening in Harris County until she heard about it from the press.
"There's not a statute, there's not a law that says our office has to be made aware when there is hazardous material," Hidalgo said last week. "Now, is it OK for there to be an international disaster in Ohio, an explosion of this magnitude, and for us to suddenly learn that those same materials have been arriving in our community for a week, driving through our community? I don't think so."
More:
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/ohio-toxic-wastewater-harris-county/285-c5af94d7-4ef7-4749-b388-ed7e3d219b52
