New third-party test results indicate the waste from a trail derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, coming to Indiana does not contain harmful levels of dioxins.
According to sampling results released Wednesday, the soil samples tested do not contain harmful levels of dioxins compared to acceptable amounts established by the Environmental Protection Agency. Dioxins are potentially toxic chemical compounds that often form when burning trash, according to the EPA.
[Related: Toxic waste from train derailment in East Palestine to be transported to Indiana]
The Heritage Environmental Services landfill in Roachdale, Indiana, began receiving soil from East Palestine on March 1, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, who has objected to the EPA’s decision to transport the material from East Palestine to Roachdale, ordered the state of Indiana to work with Pace Labs, a laboratory testing firm, to conduct third-party testing on March 2.
IDEM said Pace Labs began testing soil samples on March 4. Pace Labs completed the sampling and released results on March 8.
[Related: EPA temporarily halts transportation of hazardous waste to Indiana]
All future materials scheduled to ship to Roachdale will undergo dioxin testing before leaving East Palestine site. An Indiana Department of Environmental Management release also said Holcomb has ordered continued third-party testing for soil coming to Indiana from the Ohio crash site.
