Michigan, Texas officials complain they weren’t warned of contaminated soil, water shipments from Ohio train wreck

Michigan and Texas officials are complaining that they were not told in advance about the shipment of contaminated soil and water from East Palestine, Ohio, — where a train derailment earlier this month has caused a public health and environmental crisis — to their states. 

Officials said they had not heard about the plan until after it was already set.

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), who represents the city of Ann Arbor and parts of the highly populated Wayne County in the House, said in a statement on Friday that she learned of the plan from a public update from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), which said contaminated soil from the site was being moved by truck to U.S. Ecology Wayne Disposal in the town of Belleville. 

“We were not given a heads up on this reported action. Our priority is to always keep the people we represent safe,” she said.