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Material from derailment ‘not out of ordinary’ for local landfill
Contaminated waste from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment is likely headed to Putnam County for disposal.
The company set to handle that waste is trying to reassure the public that such chemicals have been rolling into the community for disposal on a daily basis for more than 40 years.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Putnam County Commissioners held a joint press conference with representatives from Heritage Environmental over fears generated by the news that some contaminated waste from the disaster from early this month would be headed to the Heritage facility in Russell Township.
That news broke on Monday when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the Heritage Environmental Roachdale landfill (the facility is much closer to Russellville) was one of two additional sites to which waste would be sent.
Heritage Executive Vice President Ali Alavi noted that the material would be soil contaminated with low levels of butyl acrylate, “a very common chemical; it’s found in caulk, sealants, paints,” as well as the vinyl chloride, the chemical getting the most attention at East Palestine.
However, Avali also noted that the vinyl chloride levels are well below the maximum that the Russell Township facility can accept.
“The regulatory level is six parts per million that you’re allowed to receive here at the landfill,” Alavi said. “The material that we’re receiving is coming out at about 0.033 parts per million.”
He elaborated further: “One part per million is the equivalent of one cup of water in a swimming pool, so we are two levels of magnitude below that level.”
Facility Director Eric Chris noted that Heritage Environmental has been operating at the site since 1981 with a double-lined system with leak protection between each layer.
He also noted that there are monitoring wells in place to protect both the groundwater and nearby Raccoon Creek.
“We have groundwater monitoring wells, so as the water flows that flows under the facility, we’re monitoring upstream and downstream to make sure there’s no contaminants leaving the facility,” Chris said.
Asked about the proximity of any aquifers, Chris said he was unaware of any.
“It’s been over 40 years of taking materials into this facility and making sure those toxic materials aren’t getting out to the environment,” Chris said.
While trying not to downplay the events in Ohio, Alavi tried to express that the material coming in is common for the local facility and actually not nearly as hazardous as some things that could be coming in.
“I think the distinction is that while this was a very big event in Ohio, the material that’s being generated from that event is a very low level of contaminants in the material that’s coming here,” Avali said. “So for us, it’s kind of our everyday business, even though the event that generated the material in this case was something out of the ordinary.”
Chris also noted that the landfill is a controlled environment, while the derailment site is not.
“There’s been a lot of coverage on the situation over in Ohio, and they talk about potential contamination of groundwater,” Chris said. “But there is no type of protection at the site. It’s just sitting on the ground where rain can run on it and run the contaminants off the site and into the waterways. Whereas, as we mentioned before, our site is specifically designed for this type of material and prevent it from ever getting out in the environment.”
Alavi noted the stringent regulations under which the facility operates.
“The programs we operate under are so stringent, there’s not a lot of room to be more stringent,” Alavi said.
In fact, the less controlled environment is not the final arrival at the landfill, but in making the 400-plus mile trip across the bulk of two states. However, transportation is also highly regulated, Alavi noted.
“The vehicles are all licensed and permitted under DOT and EPA regulations, so they all have meet stringent requirements to be able to carry that material,” he said. “It will be a mix of Heritage Transport, one of our companies, and a handful of third-party carriers that are all licensed and permitted.”
In attendance for the press conference, District 1 Commissioners David Berry (who represents the affected district) expressed his confidence in Heritage Environmental.
“Heritage has been a great neighbor and help to the county through all these years,” Berry said. “They’ve been great to work with, no issues.”
Helmer asked residents to heed the experts.
“Listen to the EPA. Listen to the people at the landfill,” Helmer said. “It’s being monitored by Putnam County, and there are reports going to the board of health.”
Despite this, some leaders at the local and state level still have misgivings about the situation.
The Putnam County Health Department released a statement regarding the issue on Tuesday, noting that local health officials were surprised at the announcement and will share what they know with residents as they learn more.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and work with our colleagues at the Environmental Protection Agency, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and Heritage Environmental Services,” the statement noted. “The Putnam County Health Department will perform well water testing around the Heritage Environmental site. We will make those results available once we receive them.
“We are thankful that if these materials are brought to Indiana, they will be in the hands of the H.E.S. professionals who are regulated through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.”
Gov. Eric Holcomb was strong in expressing his desire to keep the materials out of Indiana.
“I continue to object to the EPA Administrator’s decision, from Washington, D.C., to move hazardous waste from the East Palestine train derailment to Indiana,” Hlocmb said. “Further, there has been a lack of communication with me and other Indiana officials about this decision. After learning third-hand that materials may be transported to our state yesterday, I directed my environmental director to reach out to the agency. The materials should go to the nearest facilities, not moved from the far eastern side of Ohio to the far western side of Indiana.
“I have made a request to speak to the administrator to discuss this matter. I want to know exactly what precautions will be taken in the transport and disposition of the materials.”
It should be noted that as of Tuesday afternoon, the decision was not final, as Heritage officials noted there is a vetting and testing procedure before the materials would begin being accepted.
He said any such decision would be made final “in a day or two.”
To further address the fears of the public, Heritage Environmental and the Putnam County Commissioners will conduct a public meeting on the matter at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Russellville Community Center.
The Associated Press noted Monday that the EPA is now getting close to having enough certified facilities to take all of the waste from the site of the fiery Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine.
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.