MICHIGAN, USA — Shipments of contaminated waste from East Palestine will resume on Monday after the EPA put a short pause on shipping.
That was after 15 truckloads of the material was disposed of at hazardous waste facilities in Romulus and Belleville, Michigan, just north of Monroe County.
Jamie Thompson is the Republican Representative in the Michigan statehouse representing the 28th District. Her district sits just outside the district where toxic waste was shipped.
She said she and other party members are frustrated and blindsided.
"That was never brought to our attention at all," said Thompson. "It was just done, and when we found out it was done, we were told in the legislature that the EPA took control of it they paused it."
On Sunday, she and other protestors held a protest outside the Republic Industrial and Energy Solutions Park in Romulus. She said around 100 people showed up to voice their concerns and ask for answers.
"Today actually, the containers of the liquid toxic cleanup are still at the facility in Romulus and just because it's been paused doesn't mean it could not be changed. And where is it going to go from there?" she said.
Thompson wishes the situation would've been handled differently with residents getting notifications earlier.
Now she fears the contamination is already in the area.
She is hoping to get more answers this week.
"You don't just drop thousands and thousands of gallons of contaminated water from a toxic explosion. Yeah, we're really frustrated," she said.
Shipments of contaminated material were also sent to Texas.
The Ohio governor's office said on Saturday they have returned about 280 tons of hazardous solid waste to East Palestine.
On Sunday, the EPA identified two new sites in Ohio where they plan to continue shipping waste to. Solid waste will be shipped to East Liverpool and liquid waste to Vickery, Ohio starting Monday.