EPA set to begin cleanup from Richmond fire
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will next month begin the hazardous waste cleanup at the site of a massive industrial fire that took place in Richmond in April.
The $2.8 million effort will address various compounds at the site, including material containing asbestos, lead and antimony.
The fire at the former My Way Trading Warehouse, owned by Cornerstone Trading Group LLC, broke out on April 11 and took several days to extinguish. The blaze engulfed the entire building that the city said was stacked wall-to-wall with plastic materials, as well as containers outside that also contained plastics.
As the materials burned, a large plume of black smoke sent debris several miles away, including into parts of Ohio. The EPA spent several days collecting debris from 330 private and public properties in Indiana and Ohio.
The cleanup will take place at two specific properties on the site. Residents can expect to see heavy machinery on-site beginning next week, but the main cleanup will begin in November, the city said in a news release.
“The City of Richmond’s top priority is protecting our residents,” said Mayor Dave Snow. “The EPA’s cleanup operation is an essential step towards ensuring their safety and the environmental health of our community. We will continue to work closely with the EPA as we move forward in addressing this unfortunate incident.”
The city said the EPA issued a liability letter to Cornerstone Trading Group earlier this year, and the company declined to pursue the cleanup effort. The EPA is funding the cleanup with its own funds.
The hazardous materials removed from the site will not be sent to local landfills; the EPA will transport and dispose of them at other “appropriate hazardous waste facilities” at the city’s request.
The city also noted it is pursuing legal claims against Cornerstone for the costs it has incurred related to the fire and the environmental investigation. The company and its owner, Seth Smith, are already facing a class action lawsuit filed by two locals residents.