Louisiana Atty General Tries To Keep Texas Ebola Waste Out
BATON ROUGE, La. (CBSDFW.COM) -- Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell is seeking a temporary restraining order to block incinerated waste from a deceased Ebola patient from being disposed of in a Louisiana landfill.
Six truckloads of waste were reportedly brought to Port Arthur, Texas on Friday to be processed at the Veolia Environmental Services incinerator, according to Caldwell's office. The incinerated materials are scheduled to be transported to a hazardous waste landfill in Louisiana for final disposal.
"We certainly share sadness and compassion for those who have lost their lives and loved ones to this terrible virus, but the health and safety of our Louisiana citizens is our top priority," said Caldwell. "There are too many unknowns at this point, and it is absurd to transport potentially hazardous Ebola waste across state lines. This situation is certainly unprecedented and we want to approach it with the utmost caution. We just can't afford to take any risks when it comes to this deadly virus."
The Attorney General's Office is in the process of finalizing the restraining order application and expects to file it on Monday.
Complete Coverage Of Ebola In North Texas
The state is also sending a demand letter to Texas state and federal officials, demanding additional information into the waste handling process.
"We certainly know how to inactivate and destroy the Ebola virus," said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden on Monday, noting that Ebola is "not a particularly hearty virus."
Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services Dr. David Lakey says the waste "poses no risk."
Thomas Duncan, the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States, died on Wednesday morning at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.
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