The feds have ordered Norfolk Southern to slam the brakes on shipping toxic waste from the site of a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, so it can scrutinize disposal plans.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it will “ensure tall waste is disposed of in a safe and lawful manner at EPA-certified facilities to prevent further release of hazardous substances and impacts to communities,” according to a statement given to CNN on Saturday.
Until Friday, Norfolk Southern “had been solely responsible for the disposal of waste generated by the East Palestine train derailment,” added the agency, but waste disposal plans “will be subject to EPA review and approval moving forward.”
The decision comes after Texas and Michigan officials complained the states weren’t warned contaminated water and soil from Feb. 3 train derailment would be shipped into their jurisdictions for disposal.
About 2 million gallons of firefighting water from the crash site were expected to be disposed of in Harris County, Texas, with around half a million gallons already there, according to the county’s chief executive.
“It’s a very real problem; we were told yesterday the materials were coming only to learn today they’ve been here for a week,” Judge Lina Hidalgo told CNN on Thursday.
Norfolk Southern could not immediately be reached for comment.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Ohio train derailment
Contaminated soil from the derailment site was taken to the US Ecology Wayne Disposal in Belleville, Michigan.
Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan told the news outlet that neither she nor Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was aware of plans for toxic waste to be delivered to disposal sites in her district.
“I called everybody,” said Dingell. “Nobody had really been given a heads up that they were coming here.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said 4,832 cubic yards of soil have been removed from the ground in East Palestine, and about six truckloads were on the way to Michigan.
Residents in the East Palestine area have expressed frustration over what they say has been a lack of real information and help from both local officials and the Biden administration. The train derailment had led to residents complaining about feeling sick after toxic chemicals seeped into the air, water and soil.
Last week, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway ripped President Biden for heading to Ukraine for a surprise visit instead of the scene of the toxic train derailment, calling it “the biggest slap in the face.”
More than 1.7 million gallons of contaminated liquid has been removed from the site of the derailment, according to a Thursday news release from the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.