HOUSTON, Texas — Waste disposal from Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who brought Ebola into the U.S., won’t be brought to Louisiana if one of the state’s officials has his way. Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell is filing a temporary restraining order to keep Ebola waste, even if it is incinerated, out of his state.
Caldwell is attempting to block the incinerated waste from Duncan’s apartment from going into a Louisiana landfill, where it was ultimately supposed to be disposed of, according to KHOU. He said there are simply “too many unknowns” about the disease.
Currently the waste is in Port Arthur, Texas, where it was incinerated. Before being sent to Louisiana, the waste is scheduled to be analyzed for remaining organics or potentially hazardous material.
While such material is not supposed to be harmful after being incinerated, Caldwell wishes to take no risks.
He said in a statement, “We certainly share sadness and compassion for those who have lost their lives and loved ones to this terrible virus, but the health and safety of our Louisiana citizens is our top priority. It is absurd to transport potentially hazardous Ebola waste across state lines.”
He continued, “his situation is certainly unprecedented and we want to approach it with the utmost caution. We just can’t afford to take any risks when it comes to this deadly virus.”
According tot eh Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, Caldwell is in the process of finalizing the application for temporary restraining order. It could be filed early in the day on Monday.
Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate.
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