Two Days After Buttigieg Visit, Biden Admin Halts Removal of Toxic Waste From East Palestine

Saturday’s decision by the Biden administration to stop the removal of toxic substances from East Palestine (Ohio) was made to ensure that all waste is transported safely to Environmental Protection Agency-certified facilities.

CBS News reported that the EPA took over cleanup from Norfolk Southern on Friday. The train was en route to the crash but the train got stuck and the EPA halted waste shipments for the weekend. reported. The company was responsible for the transfer of 15 truckloads waste to a hazardous-waste treatment facility. Five trucks were then returned to East Palestine following the Biden administration’s orders.

CBS reports that East Palestine has more than 100,000 gallons worth of liquid waste, and 4,000 cubic yards solid waste.

Debra Shore is the Region 5 Administrator at EPA. She said that removal should not be stopped. “very soon.”

“Everyone wants this contamination gone from the community,” Shore spoke. “EPA will ensure that all 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.”

Shore claimed that she received complaints from people about waste transport to other states. She said that the EPA must investigate. “the appropriate permitted and certified sites to take the waste.”

After 38 train cars were derailled on February 3, toxic chemicals have contaminated large swathes of Pennsylvania near the Pennsylvania border. Officials feared an explosion and released toxic chemicals onto the streets, creating a plume cloud over the city.

“We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” Sil Caggiano is a hazardous material specialist who spoke to a local news station.

Both sides have criticised the slow response by the Biden administration in the face of the crisis. Fast two weeks took Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. issue Instead of addressing the disaster in his first statement, he chose to address construction workers instead. whiteness. When he finally began discussing the derailment, he attacked his Republican critics.

Buttigieg finally reached East Palestine on Thursday, just three weeks after the crash. This was one day after Donald Trump visited. Buttigieg Blamed Railroad lobbyists, Trump administration and Norfolk Southern were responsible for the crash.

The secretary urged people to refrain from politicizing the crisis.

“The country should be wrapping their arms around the people of East Palestine, not as a political football, not as an ideological flashpoint, not as a gotcha moment,” Buttigieg said.

He blamed others for his delay.

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