BALTIMORE — Plans to send toxic wastewater is headed from Ohio to Maryland are back on while a group of concerned citizens are doing what they can to stop it.
Save Our Back River is a grassroots group made up of 11 organizations made up of concerned citizens, and they want to meet with elected officials to help them fight back.
Norfolk Southern initially canceled its plans to bring toxic wastewater from its train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio to Baltimore to be treated and released.
It means 675,000 gallons of toxic wastewater, at a rate of 75,000 gallons a day is destined for Baltimore.
Norfolk Southern plans to treat the contaminated water at Clean Harbors facility in south Baltimore, then it will ship the water back to Ohio to Clean Harbors' Cleveland facility for final disposal.
Many are disappointed in the change in plans, after Norfolk Southern said in March that it would no longer have the toxic wastewater treated in Maryland.
Congressman Kweisi Mfume sent a letter to the EPA opposing the reversal and asked the EPA administrator for a discussion on the issue to reject those plans.
In a statement, Mfume said "Norfolk Southern made clear it was not bringing contaminated water to Maryland on March 28, 2023. Then thirty days later, the company does an about face. It is impossible to trust an individual or corporation when its deeds do not match its words. It begs for a lack of credibility."
Officials with the Maryland Department of the Environment say they don't have any authority over the issue.
Meanwhile, many people with concerns are speaking out to do whatever they can to prevent the toxic wastewater from heading to Baltimore.
Baltimore resident Barbara Klik said "I wish it wasn't being treated here of course. I think the idea that you're going to take this very hazardous material and transport it across five states it's dangerous and it would be better to try to keep it more local in the place where it is."
Save Our Back River will hold its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday night at Dock of the Bay on Millers Island.
