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State says waste clean for dioxins; Citizens remain skeptical
RUSSELLVILLE — A Wednesday report from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management noted no harmful levels of dioxins in loads that have arrived from New Palestine, Ohio, to a hazardous waste landfill in Russell Township.
Even so, some locals remain skeptical of the tests and of what could eventually end up in the soil and water of Putnam County.
At issue is exactly what is rolling into the Heritage Environmental Services facility between Russellville and Roachdale after the Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that soil from the early-February train derailment would be shipped there.
Having previously been critical of the decision by the EPA decision to ship the hazardous soil to Indiana, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced the results on Wednesday alongside a statement of his own.
“Pace Labs has completed and shared the full results of their third-party dioxin testing I had ordered and expedited last week,” Holcomb said, noting that initial samples were taken on Saturday morning, March 4, after the trucks began arriving on March 1.
“These results indicate that the material tested does not contain any harmful levels of dioxins when compared to acceptable levels established by the EPA,” Holcomb continued. “Furthermore, these results demonstrate that the site operator is lawfully permitted to dispose of that material at its site. We have informed the EPA and the site operator of these testing results.”
Last week, Heritage Environmental announced that the material being shipped to Russellville would contain butyl acrylate and vinyl chloride, both or which are permitted at the facility, not dioxins.
Ordered by IDEM, a state agency, these tests by Pace Environmental are being performed in addition to tests ordered by the EPA, a federal agency, before any future loads leave the wreck site.
“We will have Pace Labs continue to test samples of any future loads that may arrive in Indiana from East Palestine to confirm that none of the material contains harmful levels of dioxins,” Holcomb said.
However, a local man who is leading the charge to stop the shipments is not satisfied with the results. On Monday, Rudy Guerrero spoke to the Putnam County Commissioners, telling them that the industry standard is to have three independent labs, not one, do testing for dioxins.
“If you tell me that you’re only using one testing facility, that tells me that you’re intentionally or through laziness or whatever motive, you are not up to speed on the most important, current topic in our state,” Guerrero said in a Wednesday video posted to Facebook.
Guerrero further questioned how independent Pace might be. Saying it was brought to his attention by a former Heritage employee, Guerrero pointed to a 2013 press release from Pace Environmental noting the company’s acquisition of the Heritage Environmental Services commercial laboratory.
Of note, part of the release seems to indicate a partnership between the two entities as much as an acquisition. For example, it is noted that “Heritage Environmental Services has also established an alliance and a long-term partnership with Pace Analytical to continue to serve their testing needs going forward.”
The CEO of each company at the time also calls it a partnership in the release.
What is unclear is whether this partnership is ongoing.
Regardless, IDEM noted that testing will continue as ordered by both federal and state authorities.