TRO bans incinerated Ebola waste from being transported to Louisiana
Louisiana’s attorney general has obtained a temporary restraining order that keeps incinerated Ebola waste from being transported to the state.
Judge Bob Downing issued the TRO on Monday, report the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog and the Washington Post. The order blocks transport of incinerated waste that had belonged to Texas Ebola victim Eric Duncan.
The ashes from incinerated linens, carpets, bedding and other items in Duncan’s apartment had been destined for a hazardous-waste landfill in Louisiana. Downing’s order blocks transport of the waste to Louisiana and requires the companies handling the waste to provide more information about treatment of the waste. Downing also said Louisiana should be provided with a list of Texas landfills that can accept potentially hazardous waste.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said properly incinerated waste is not considered infectious. But Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said in a statement that the state “just can’t afford to take any risks when it comes to this deadly virus.” The TRO request by his office said the state has not had an opportunity “to independently verify and confirm the safety of the medical waste.”
