East Palestine derailment wastewater to be treated in Baltimore, but dumped in Ohio
BALTIMORE -- A waste management company in Baltimore will treat water contaminated by a train derailment in Ohio after all, but the waste will then be transported back to Ohio, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment.
City leaders learned in March that at least 675,000 gallons of pretreated wastewater from East Palestine would be sent to the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant—a city-run facility based in Dundalk that has been under temporary state control due to compliance and permit issues.
After widespread concern about the facility's ability to effectively treat the water and the possible environmental impact, Mayor Brandon Scott directed the Department of Public Works to deny Clean Harbor's request to discharge the wastewater.
The transport and treatment appeared to have been halted. Still, the MDE said Norfolk Southern Railway Company notified the agency it intends to ship waste to the Clean Harbors Baltimore Facility for treatment under a different plan.
Following treatment, the wastewater will be shipped back to Clean Harbors Cleveland, Ohio, the agency said, instead of being discharged in Baltimore as originally planned.
The agency said Norfolk Southern intends to ship 75,000 gallons a day of hazardous wastewater to the city on or after April 29, but that the shipments have not begun as of Monday, May 8.
"Although MDE received notice as required, MDE does not have regulatory authority over this matter," the agency said. "Ultimately, these are decisions by private companies within their authority."
The fiery Norfolk Southern train derailment in early February sent residents fleeing and thrust East Palestine into a national debate over rail safety,
About half of East Palestine's nearly 5,000 residents evacuated when, days after the Feb. 3 derailment, officials decided to burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion.
