The EPA resumed shipments of toxic material out of East Palestine, Ohio on Monday following a brief pause as the agency laid out further safety measures.
President Biden's EPA issued the pause on Saturday as it took over plans for removing the toxic material from the railroad, Norfolk Southern. The material is now being shipped to two facilities elsewhere in Ohio, rather than to sites in Michigan and Texas.
EPA administrator Debra Shore says some liquid waste is now being delivered to an underground injection well in Vickery, Ohio, while other waste will be delivered to an incinerator in East Liverpool.
The shipment change comes days after officials in Texas and Michigan complained that they received toxic material without being warned ahead of time.
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Roughly 2 million gallons of firefighting water had been expected to be delivered to Harris County, Texas in the coming weeks for disposal. About half a million gallons had already been shipped to the county, leading to frustration from local officials.
"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 last week.
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Meanwhile, federal officials have deployed teams to East Palestine to go door-to-door in an effort to address residents' concerns. Officials have assured the public that local air quality is normal, despite concerns from some residents.
Biden's administration has faced heavy criticism for its handling of the Ohio derailment in recent weeks, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg personally visiting the site last week. Many critics argued the visit came too late, with nearly three weeks passing since the Feb. 3 crash.
Buttigieg himself admitted he waited too long to respond publicly when speaking to reporters in Ohio last week.
Biden also faced criticism for not visiting East Palestine in the wake of the incident. Biden retreated to one of his homes in Delaware over the weekend.
