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Waste from East Palestine headed to Russell Township landfill

Tuesday, February 28, 2023
From AP and Staff Reports

As reported by the Associated Press and multiple media outlets late Tuesday, contaminated waste from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment is headed to Putnam County for disposal.

The Heritage Environmental landfill in Russell Township was one of two new sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday as an additional waste site for the hazardous materials released in the fiery derailment earlier this month.

The site, which is closer to Russellville but is listed as being in Roachdale due to its mailing address, is one of four sites identified so far by the EPA for disposal, the other three being in Ohio.

The EPA now is getting close to having enough certified facilities to take all of the waste from the site of the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, said Debra Shore, a regional administrator with the agency.

Officials on Saturday had ordered Norfolk Southern to “pause” shipments to allow additional oversight measures. Some liquid and solid waste had already been taken to sites in Michigan and Texas.

About 1.8 million gallons of liquid waste have been collected from the derailment site, according to the Ohio EPA.

Story will be updated when additional details become available.

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  • Conversation overheard at the Federal EPA: "Beautiful. Terrific. Let's just haul all that toxic waste to some podunk town in Indiana. Indiana's EPA is a disgrace, so they won't care."

    -- Posted by Ben Dover on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 8:56 AM

  • Heritage has been at Russellville for decades , with countless thousands of truck loads of hazardous materials dumped there. It is located close to a creek which if leeched into could carry who knows what to the lake. Leeched toxins could also get to the area water table , polluting local wells. It is a little late to worry about the toxins from Ohio because if there was damage to be done it most likely has by now. I do wonder if any monitoring wells have ever been installed around and below the dump?

    -- Posted by Alfred E. on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 9:47 AM

  • This landfill has been there for years and years and now everyone is getting upset. Where were you last week before you listen to the news. You probably don’t even wanna know what’s is buried there

    -- Posted by ineedboatdrinks on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 11:30 AM

  • too bad they couldn't offload this crap in Pothole Pete's hometown that produced him, South Bend

    it took three weeks and a visit from the orangeman first to get him onsite

    Alfred E Buttigig checked all the ESG boxes OK

    unfortunately, competency has never been on that list

    -- Posted by direstraits on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 11:49 AM

  • That landfill has been there for years for this purpose. I know people who have worked there running heavy equipment. A little late too worry about all the toxins it’s already there.

    -- Posted by lori ford on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 1:08 PM

  • Funny how people are just now concerned about this landfill that has only been there for many years. And yes the have test wells all around the place to comply with state and federal standards.

    -- Posted by bluewolf121702 on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 2:29 PM

  • We all know why here

    i am impressed with all the people who seem to say it is ok because stuff is already dumped there.

    -- Posted by beg on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 4:31 PM

  • This is exactly the type of reason Heritage was started in the first place. I’m not sure why the outrage, unless people are just ignorant of the facts surrounding Heritage.

    -- Posted by Koios on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 4:44 PM

  • Containment of waste is key to the functionality of a hazardous waste facility.

    What contains the waste? Answer: Landfill Liners

    How long have the liners been in place at the Russellville site? Answer: 41 years according to commissioners and Heritage Environmental officials at a news conference on 28 Feb 2023.

    What is the effective lifespan of the landfill liners which were put into place in 1982? Answer: Uncertain. Perhaps 30 years, 40 years. We don’t know for sure.

    What in the world are we leaving our children, grandchildren or anyone who chooses to live here 100 years from now? Answer: A mess caused by irresponsible choices and limitations of landfill containment products.

    -- Posted by LJScott on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 7:40 PM

  • Most People are ignorant of hazardous waste anyway. Unless you work with hazardous waste and been educated about hazardous waste you really don’t know.

    -- Posted by bluewolf121702 on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 8:37 PM

  • Agreed bluewolf. If we as a society want to have modern conveniences like plastic,hardy wire coverings, pvc plumbing pipe, and the list goes on, we have to deal with the ramifications of byproduct disposal, and transport accidents that leak the chemicals needed to produce those things. I’m afraid nobody ever thinks about that part.

    -- Posted by Koios on Tue, Feb 28, 2023, at 8:47 PM

  • The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race.

    -- Posted by techphcy on Wed, Mar 1, 2023, at 7:25 AM

  • The real headline of the toxic spill in Ohio doesn't end with the initial train derailment.

    The different contents of tank cars that were coupled together could create a super toxic and explosive brew if the railcars caught fire, derailed, spilled, potentially mixing together the separate contents of the tank cars.

    Bad enough that railcars caught fire and the conductor didn't know it. Those two factors should have been avoided... Ya Think?

    Before this story gets completely buried by the drive-by media I'd like to know who signed off on this and what happened next.

    Somebody, with the authority to do so, allowed for a trench to be dug in the town of East Palestine then off loaded the remaining toxic contents into the ditch and set it on fire!

    Who decided that?

    When was that official decree decided?

    Why didn't they haul off the contents instead of burning it in the town?

    Is this the government we want, is it what we deserve?

    -- Posted by direstraits on Thu, Mar 2, 2023, at 7:23 AM

  • Channel 13 reported Heritage has had many violations at their Putnam County site.

    -- Posted by kbmom on Thu, Mar 2, 2023, at 8:53 AM

  • This is hardly different than what this facility does and has done on a daily basis for multiple decades. Why are people all of a sudden up in arms about this? It makes no sense at all. Absolutely none.

    -- Posted by Koios on Thu, Mar 2, 2023, at 7:50 PM

  • https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/03/rail-workers-already-getting-sick-at-no...

    -- Posted by direstraits on Thu, Mar 2, 2023, at 8:49 PM

  • Yeah, that’s what happens when toxic chemicals are not properly contained. Like they would be at the Heritage landfill. This is not a conspiracy theory, as much as you’ll try to make it one.

    -- Posted by Koios on Thu, Mar 2, 2023, at 9:02 PM

  • I am curious if those who support the government decision to move waste to Putnam County would do the same if the government was led by those they disagreed with.

    Wondering what the tenor of those citizens would be regarding the federal response if they disagreed with those in power?

    It is amazing how quiet environmentalists have been or not been given a platform to share their concerns

    -- Posted by beg on Thu, Mar 2, 2023, at 11:45 PM

  • I’m curious why no one was screaming at public meetings and engaging in street protests over the Heritage landfill 1 month ago, 6 months ago, 1 year ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago, etc if this is really such a big problem. The material they are accepting is no different than material they have taken in on a daily basis for decades. That’s facts.

    -- Posted by Koios on Fri, Mar 3, 2023, at 6:16 AM

  • https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/ohio-is-burning/

    -- Posted by direstraits on Fri, Mar 3, 2023, at 7:05 AM

  • agree. Then both you and I support the hazardous material coming to Putnam County. Based on your statement anyway.

    -- Posted by beg on Fri, Mar 3, 2023, at 7:56 AM

  • https://fox59.com/news/baird-asks-for-pause-on-toxic-shipments-from-east-palesti...

    -- Posted by direstraits on Sat, Mar 4, 2023, at 11:01 AM

  • Attorney General Todd Rokita says he has received some information about the shipments from the Indiana­­­­­­­ Department of Environmental Management. Rokita would not specify what substances were in the shipments, but shared this, “It’s certainly more friendly relative frankly, to a lot of other materials that that very same landfill has already accepted.”

    -- Posted by Koios on Sat, Mar 4, 2023, at 12:06 PM

  • another MAGA supporter...?

    open up what the feckless overlords are doing to Americans

    -- Posted by direstraits on Sat, Mar 4, 2023, at 12:26 PM

  • Conspiracy theories and flat out ignorance are doing far more damage to America than your so called overlords are.

    -- Posted by Koios on Sat, Mar 4, 2023, at 2:16 PM

  • yeah, thought so...

    just another drone from the hive

    get back in your miserable line for a life

    and GET THAT MASK ON!!

    -- Posted by direstraits on Sat, Mar 4, 2023, at 9:02 PM
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