Wastewater from Ohio train derailment will be shipped to Baltimore after all - WBAL TV Baltimore

Wastewater from Ohio derailment will be shipped to Baltimore

CLEARLY, WE DON’T WANT ANY WASTE DUMPED INTO, YOU KNOW, OUR WATERWAYS. YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT PROCESS IT’S GONE THROUGH TO KIND OF CLEAN IT UP. THAT’S WHAT HAD CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS CONCERNED IN MARCH WHEN CONTAMINATED WATER FROM THE EAST PALESTINE, OHIO, TRAIN DERAILMENT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE SENT TO BALTIMORE FOR TREATMENT PROCESS, THEN RELEASED INTO THE CITY COLLECTION SYSTEM. AND IT WAS VERY CONCERNING. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOUGHT LONG AND HARD TO TRY TO CLEAN UP OUR WATERWAYS, PARTICULARLY FEEDING INTO THE CHESAPEAKE. WE UNDERSTAND AND KNOW THE ECOSYSTEM THERE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR CITY TO THAT. AND IT WAS REALLY CONCERNING AT FIRST. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE INITIAL OUTCRY, SHOCK AND CONCERN. THE CITY COUNCIL WROTE A LETTER DENYING THE DISPOSAL OF THAT WATER HERE. BUT NOW THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT CONFIRMS TO THE 11 NEWS I-TEAM THAT NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILWAY IS ONCE AGAIN PLANNING TO SHIP THAT WATER TO THE CLEAN HARBORS BALTIMORE FACILITY FOR TREATMENT. THIS TIME, THEY SAY, IT WILL GET SHIPPED BACK TO THE CLEAN HARBORS FACILITY IN CLEVELAND, OHIO, FOR DISPOSAL. THE MAYOR’S OFFICE SENT US A STATEMENT SAYING IN PART, IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM WILL TREATMENT OR DISCHARGE TAKE PLACE WITHIN OUR WASTEWATER FACILITIES. LOOK, I’M OPPOSED TO IT COMING TO BALTIMORE. WE NEED TO HAVE PROPER CONTROLS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN WHEN THEY BRING IT IN, THAT THERE’S NO POSSIBLE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SPILLS OR ANY OTHER ISSUES THAT CAN ARISE FROM THEM BRINGING IT HERE. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TELL ME THEY HAVE NOT BEEN BRIEFED ON THIS NEWEST PLAN. THE EPA MADE IT CLEAR THEY CAN’T BLOCK THE WATER FROM BEING TREATED HERE, BUT OFFICIALS STILL HAVE LINGERING CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE CONCERNED. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, PLACES LIKE BALTIMORE HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE, IS IN THE PAST NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS ONE THAT’S AN INJUSTICE, BUT WE’VE HAD OUR NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AND ISSUES. THERE’S NO WORD TONIGHT ON WHEN THOSE SHIPMENTS OF WATER ARE SCHEDULED TO BEG

Wastewater from Ohio train derailment will be shipped to Baltimore after all

Updated: 7:02 AM EDT May 9, 2023

Toxic wastewater from the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, will be shipped to Baltimore after all, but the plan has changed since city leaders originally rejected the water."Clearly, we don't want any waste dumped into our waterways, no matter what process it's gone through to kind of clean it up," said Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby.That was the concern in March when the water was scheduled to be sent to Baltimore for processing and then released into the city collection system."It was very concerning. We have fought long and hard to try to clean up our waterways, particularly feeding the Chesapeake. You know the ecosystem there and the importance of our city to that, and I think that was the initial outcry: shock and concern," said Mosby.So, the City Council responded with a letter in March rejecting the disposal of that water in Maryland.Now, the Maryland Department of the Environment told the 11 News I-Team that Norfolk Southern Railway is once again planning to ship that water to the Clean Harbors Baltimore facility for treatment. But this time, they said it will be shipped back to the Clean Harbors facility in Cleveland for disposal.The mayor's office said in a statement: "In no way, shape or form will treatment or discharge take place within our wastewater facilities."But councilmembers said that care must be taken."Look, I'm opposed to it coming to Baltimore. We need to have proper controls in place to make sure that when they bring it in, there's no possibility of spills or any other issues that can arise from them bringing it here," said Councilman Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer, D-District 5.Councilmembers said they have not yet been briefed on the plan. The Environmental Protection Agency said city leaders cannot block the water from being treated in Baltimore. But officials still have concerns."We have the right to be concerned. Places like Baltimore have been disproportionately impacted by environmental injustices in the past. I'm not saying that this one is injustice, but we've had a number of environmental concerns and issues," said Mosby.No word yet on when shipments of the water will start arriving.

BALTIMORE —

Toxic wastewater from the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, will be shipped to Baltimore after all, but the plan has changed since city leaders originally rejected the water.

"Clearly, we don't want any waste dumped into our waterways, no matter what process it's gone through to kind of clean it up," said Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby.

That was the concern in March when the water was scheduled to be sent to Baltimore for processing and then released into the city collection system.

"It was very concerning. We have fought long and hard to try to clean up our waterways, particularly feeding the Chesapeake. You know the ecosystem there and the importance of our city to that, and I think that was the initial outcry: shock and concern," said Mosby.

So, the City Council responded with a letter in March rejecting the disposal of that water in Maryland.

Now, the Maryland Department of the Environment told the 11 News I-Team that Norfolk Southern Railway is once again planning to ship that water to the Clean Harbors Baltimore facility for treatment. But this time, they said it will be shipped back to the Clean Harbors facility in Cleveland for disposal.

The mayor's office said in a statement: "In no way, shape or form will treatment or discharge take place within our wastewater facilities."

But councilmembers said that care must be taken.

"Look, I'm opposed to it coming to Baltimore. We need to have proper controls in place to make sure that when they bring it in, there's no possibility of spills or any other issues that can arise from them bringing it here," said Councilman Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer, D-District 5.

Councilmembers said they have not yet been briefed on the plan. The Environmental Protection Agency said city leaders cannot block the water from being treated in Baltimore. But officials still have concerns.

"We have the right to be concerned. Places like Baltimore have been disproportionately impacted by environmental injustices in the past. I'm not saying that this one is injustice, but we've had a number of environmental concerns and issues," said Mosby.

No word yet on when shipments of the water will start arriving.