HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The Environmental Protection Agency plans on resuming the disposal of the wastewater from the Ohio train derailment in Harris County starting Tuesday, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
This comes just three days after the agency said it would pause operations due to county and community leaders speaking out.
Hidalgo said the firefighting wastewater disposal is resuming again in Harris County because the EPA informed her office that heavy rain is happening at the East Palestine, Ohio derailment site, and disposal facilities in Ohio and Indiana have reached capacity limitations.
"The EPA has assured my office the transport will resume with the appropriate oversight," Hidalgo wrote in a statement. "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."
About a week ago, the City of Deer Park confirmed the water used to put out a massive railcar fire in East Palestine, Ohio, was headed to a company called Texas Molecular, which is permitted to properly dispose of hazardous materials. The company is located just outside Deer Park.
Hidalgo said she wasn't aware this was happening in Harris County until she heard about it from the press.
"There's not a statute, there's not a law that says our office has to be made aware when there is hazardous material," Hidalgo said last week. "Now, is it OK for there to be an international disaster in Ohio, an explosion of this magnitude, and for us to suddenly learn that those same materials have been arriving in our community for a week, driving through our community? I don't think so."
Hidalgo and Texas Molecular confirmed the facility outside of Deer Park is capable of disposing of the volume of wastewater in question.
Hidalgo said she promises to continue to be transparent with the community and she's glad Harris County is part of a positive change in how industrial disasters are handled.
Read Hidalgo's full statement on the continuation of the wastewater disposal in Harris County below:
"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 Palenstine will resume to Harris County today."
"The EPA explained that the rest of the waste and some of the firefighting water are going to other facilities n Ohio and Indiana."
"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 Couty when we needed it 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."
"Continued transparency and safety of our community are my highest priorities. We in Harris County are not new to industrial disasters. The tragedy in East Palestine is a call t action for the need for additional safety practices on how hazardous materials are handled. The compartmentalization and lack of communication in the response and transport point to the need for a more seamless system and clean communication. I am glad that Harris Couty is a part of that positive change."