A common theme is emerging in the weeks after a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. It seems as though information about what is being transported is difficult to come by. First, Norfolk Southern gave an incomplete list of the chemicals that were being transported in the first place — and therefore an incomplete list of what was released into the air and water. Now, it seems as though Michigan and Texas were not told what was coming their way when contaminated waste from the derailment site was shipped out of East Palestine.

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency briefly halted shipments after officials in Michigan and Texas complained they had not received warning that waste from the derailment site would be coming to them for disposal. Texas is receiving approximately 2 million gallons of firefighting water from the site; and Michigan is receiving contaminated soil. Even the mayor of East Liverpool, Ohio, where some of the waste is set to be incinerated, was uneasy. Gregory T. Bricker said, however, that he had been assured by the EPA that all guidelines were being followed.

It is admirable the EPA is working to assure Norfolk Southern and contractors have East Palestine cleaned up as quickly as possible. But they must place equal urgency on informing and protecting the public.

Among the ways to hold Norfolk Southern accountable is to require an accurate accounting of everything being transported.