Louisiana says no to ashes from Ebola victim's belongings
PORT ARTHUR, TX (KTRK) -- There is a legal fight going on over the ashes from the first Dallas Ebola case. The ashes are from Thomas Eric Duncan's belongings -- his clothing, his bedding, even carpet from the apartment in which he was staying. The ashes are now being kept at a facility in Port Arthur. No one knows where they'll go next.
The items were destroyed Friday at the Veolia Environmental Services incinerator in Port Arthur, and that's where they'll remain for now. It's what they do, and officials there say the ashes pose no risk to anyone.
A judge has temporarily blocked the disposal of the ashes which were to be sent to a southwest Louisiana facility.
Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said, "There are too many unknowns at this point, and it is absurd to transport potentially hazardous Ebola waste across state lines. We just can't afford to take any risks when it comes to this deadly virus."
Veolia sits in Jefferson County and the county judge calls concerns about this out of Louisiana just plain ignorant.
"Fear can take over where knowledge doesn't exist and understanding," said Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick. "I'm sure that that is what motivated Louisiana officials. I understand their concern but I think their concern, if they were to study the issue, their concern would not exist."
Veolia says the material is burned in a 16 foot diameter by 60 foot tall incinerator, heated to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. It's then put through a second burn, with temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees. According to CDC guidelines, that should kill Ebola. This is what they do at Veolia -- incinerating a number of different types of materials, including hazardous ones.
