LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Officials say toxic waste from the Ohio train derailment has already arrived at an Indiana landfill.
According to a report by FOX 59, representatives of Heritage Environmental confirmed Wednesday night that shipments of waste had already begun. That revelation came before an informational meeting for concerned Indiana residents.
During the meeting, which was held Wednesday night in the Russellville Community Building in Putnam County, hundreds of people showed up to voice their concerns. Representatives of Heritage Environmental confirmed that three trucks filled with toxic waste from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment had already been dumped at the landfill.
"The most environmentally responsible thing to do with this material is to bring it to this facility," said one Heritage Environmental employee.
The crowd responded to that comment with loud "boos."
During the meeting, which lasted for more than three hours, some attendees stepped up to a microphone to voice their concerns while others yelled from their seats.
"You have been in violation 12 straight quarters," one person yelled. "That is three straight years, and nothing has been done about it. How can we trust somebody that's been in violation?"
The attendee was likely referencing an Environmental Protection Agency report listing Heritage Environmental in violation of standards because of a labeling issue. A spokesman for Heritage Environmental replied that the violation had since been resolved, but the EPA had not yet updated its website to reflect that.
"The landfill is specifically designed the way it is to keep the contaminants in the spot forever so it would never get out into the environment, contaminate anybody's water supply," one employee said. "There's facilities like this across the nation."
When a spokesperson for Heritage Environmental disclosed that some of the waste shipments had already arrived, with more expected on Thursday, the crowd became upset and began to boo.
"You should have let the people know before you hauled," one attendee said.
Heritage went on to say the truckloads of waste were being transported by third-party companies that are heavily regulated. At an earlier press conference, the company said they were expecting 2,000 tons of soil.
"You're going to have to answer to God for this," one person yelled.
A spokesperson for Heritage Environmental said it was not clear if more shipments of toxic waste were still to come.
"The testing and approval was completed yesterday," an employee for the landfill said. "There were already trucks loaded on site that the EPA had sitting on site."
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