Federal officials are pausing the removal of toxic waste from East Palestine until the EPA approves its transportation to authorized locations

• Officials are pausing the removal of toxic waste from East Palestine, Ohio.
• The EPA said that the agency wants to evaluate transport routes and locations.

Federal officials are temporarily halting the removal of toxic waste from the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment site until the Environmental Protection Agency authorizes transportation routes and locations, The Associated Press reported.

The agency's Region 5 administrator told the AP that the removal of the waste stemming from the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment would continue after an evaluation.

"EPA will ensure that all waste is disposed of in a safe and lawful manner at EPA-certified facilities to prevent further release of hazardous substances and impacts to communities," Debra Shore told the outlet.

The news comes after residents expressed grave concerns about the toxic chemicals that were burned after the crash by officials who feared an explosion. The EPA and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine have also told the community that the air is safe to breathe and the water was good to drink.

"Everyone wants this contamination gone from the community," Shore told the AP. "They don't want the worry, and they don't want the smell, and we owe it to the people of East Palestine to move it out of the community as quickly as possible."

DeWine said that "102,000 gallons of liquid waste" and "4,500 cubic yards of solid waste" are still in East Palestine, according to the AP. Lawmakers in Michigan and Texas have also said that they didn't know about DeWine's plan to move the waste to facilities in their respective states.

"We were not given a heads up on this reported action. Our priority is to always keep the people we represent safe," Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell said in a statement on Friday.