Maryland Rep. Mfume opposes new plan to treat East Palestine derailment wastewater in Baltimore
BALTIMORE -- Congressman Kweisi Mfume on Friday called on the Environmental Protection Agency to reject a transport company's new plan for a Baltimore company to treat water contaminated in a catastrophic Ohio train derailment.
After city leadership blocked a plan to treat and dump wastewater from East Palestine in Baltimore earlier this year, Norfolk Southern came back with a plan for the water to be treated by Clean Harbors Baltimore, but then transported back to Ohio.
The Maryland Department of the Environment on Monday told WJZ that Norfolk Southern Railway Company notified the agency it intends to ship waste to the Clean Harbors Baltimore Facility for treatment.
The state agency said it had received notice as required, but that it does not have regulatory authority over the matter. The plan was approved at the federal level by the EPA.
Mfume's office said he has requested a meeting with EPA Administrator Michael Regan to urge him to reject the corporation's plan.
"Congressman Mfume's objection to the resurrected idea stems from Norfolk Southern's inherent inability to ensure safe passage of contaminated water to and from Baltimore," his office said.
The fiery Norfolk Southern train derailment in early February sent residents fleeing and thrust East Palestine into a national debate over rail safety.
About half of East Palestine's nearly 5,000 residents evacuated when, days after the Feb. 3 derailment, officials decided to burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion.
The company had another train derailment in Springfield, Ohio shortly after the East Palestine crash.
City leaders learned in March that at least 675,000 gallons of pretreated wastewater from East Palestine would be sent to the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant—a city-run facility based in Dundalk that has been under temporary state control due to compliance and permit issues.
After widespread concern about the facility's ability to effectively treat the water and the possible environmental impact, Mayor Brandon Scott directed the Department of Public Works to deny Clean Harbor's request to discharge the wastewater.
The transport and treatment appeared to have been halted, at least until Norfolk Southern notified the MDE of its new plan.
"Norfolk Southern made clear it was not bringing contaminated water to Maryland on March 28, 2023," Mfume's office said. "Then thirty days later, the company does an aboutface. It is impossible to trust an individual or corporation when its deeds do not match its words. It begs for a lack of credibility."
Following treatment, the wastewater would be shipped back to Clean Harbors Cleveland, Ohio, the MDE said, instead of being discharged in Baltimore as originally planned.
The agency said Norfolk Southern intends to ship 75,000 gallons a day of hazardous wastewater to the city on or after April 29, but that the shipments had not begun as of Monday, May 8.
