RICHMOND, Ind. — Cleanup is set to begin on the site of a massive warehouse fire in Richmond, Indiana, earlier this year.
The Environmental Protection Agency will start its hazardous waste cleanup operation on two of the properties involved in the My Way Trading fire in April 2023.
The 14-acre warehouse for chipped, shredded and bulk plastics caught fire on April 11, 2023, and burned for several days, leading to the cancellation of schools for several days as plumes of black, toxic smoke billowed into the air.
Tons of recycled plastic stored for resale caught fire, forcing around 2,000 people from their homes.
The City of Richmond said in a Facebook post that heavy machinery will be moved to the site next week, with the main cleanup operation expected to start in November. The EPA estimates the cleanup will cost $2.8 million.
"The City understands that (Cornerstone Trading Group, LLC) declined to pursue the cleanup, and the EPA cleanup will be funded through the federal agency’s funds," the post read.
The city said the EPA issued a liability letter to Cornerstone, but had not sent such a letter to the city. Officials also said the city requested that none of the hazardous materials be disposed at the New Paris Pike Landfill or other local landfills. Instead, the materials will be taken to appropriate hazardous waste facilities.
The air around the cleanup will be monitored, and the materials will be wetted down and covered to help with containment.
In May, the EPA collected 54 soil and debris samples from the site for testing. 13 Investigates reporter Cierra Putman reviewed the EPA's findings, which indicated some elevated levels of metals, including lead, aluminum and zinc, at the site.
Twenty-nine of the samples were tested specifically for asbestos, and none was detected, the report said.
Another 25 samples were tested for a variety of substances. The EPA found some elevated levels of metals and Volatile Organic Compounds.
A local researcher told 13News the results of the report, which he said was about the site itself, should not worry people who live near the site.
"They're trying to get the site cleaned up so that it can be safely reused for some other purpose," said Gabriel Filippelli, an Indiana University researcher. "People near that site needn't be concerned about that."
The EPA continues to maintain a website with information about the testing and cleanup effort.