Shipments of firefighting water from Ohio train derailment resuming to Harris Co.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - Shipments of firefighting water used in the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment are resuming to Harris County, according to County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
This comes after Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee announced the EPA was pausing the disposal of the wastewater from East Palestine.
In a statement, Hidalgo said, "The EPA just informed us that due to heavy rain at the derailment site and capacity limitations in other facilities, transportation of the firefighting water from East Palestine will resume to Harris County today."
Hidalgo stated that the rest of the waste and some of the firefighting water are going to other facilities in Ohio and Indiana.
Hidalgo also said, "Most importantly, the EPA explained to me that the residents of East Palestine need this firefighting water to be properly stored and disposed of rather than for it to be exposed offsite. In the past, jurisdictions from around the nation have stepped up to help Harris County when we need it the most. It's appropriate for us to help when we have the ability to do so and when it can be done safely. No other facility has the capacity necessary to dispose of the volume of firefighting water in question, once the Ohio and Indiana facilities are at capacity."
"The EPA has assured my office the transport will resume with the appropriate oversight. 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.
In a recent interview, FOX 26 spoke with Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton about the transport as the shipments will be going to Texas Molecular, which is in Deer Park.
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According to Texas Molecular’s website they use the "deep well injection method" for disposal as shown in a diagram on the company’s page.
"They’ve been permitted for the better part of 40 years to handle this kind of material. (The company was) one of the main sites that handled a lot of the stuff from the ITC event," explains Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton.
In an email from Texas Molecular to the mayor, the company says the Ohio fire "was extinguished with foam and water" then the "firefighting water" was collected to "protect people and the environment." It goes on to say that liquid waste now contains "small amounts of Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS)" found in products "from packaging to non-stick cookware."
"In so many words, it’s business as usual. This is a highly specialized arena, and again this facility has been handling these kinds of products for the better part of 40 years," says Mouton.
TCEQ the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality tells FOX 26, "Texas Molecular is authorized to accept and manage a variety of waste streams, including vinyl chloride, as part of their RCRA hazardous waste permit and underground injection control permit."
"I’m very confident this is a great facility that knows what they’re doing," says the mayor.