Norfolk Southern Corp. was ordered by federal officials to pause waste removal at the site of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment to ensure safe disposal subject to Environmental Protection Agency approval, a regional EPA administrator said on Saturday.
On Thursday, Norfolk Southern provided the EPA’s Ohio branch on with a list of sites it was using and “had been solely responsible for the disposal of waste” until the EPA told it to pause the next day, Regional Administrator Debra Shore told reporters at a briefing in the town.
“Moving forward, waste disposal plans, including disposal location and transportation routes for contaminated waste, will be subject to federal EPA review and approval,” she said. “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.”
