RICHMOND, Ind. — Richmond Mayor Dave Snow provided an update Thursday one month after a massive fire at a plastics facility forced the evacuation of thousands of people from their homes.
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“We have learned a lot over the last month,” said Snow. “More importantly, we have witnessed the heroism of our first responders, the collaborative spirit of our county, state, and federal partners, and the resiliency and compassion of our community.”
In the weeks since the fire, the city says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), and city officials have taken several steps to clean up the site.
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The city has asked the EPA to “undertake an environmental investigation” and “immediate removal action of the materials at or near the site.” It has also executed a site access agreement allowing mitigation to begin, and secured an environmental consultant to monitor the process.
In addition, the city says the Richmond Fire Department, Richmond Police Department, and Richmond Street Department are working with the EPA to mobilize heavy equipment on the site to assist with the “assessment and remediation activities.”
There are several steps in the clean-up process:
- Identification of the materials/debris on the site. EPA will conduct sampling beginning on May 15.
- Development of a plan to safely remove and properly dispose of the materials/debris.
- Safe removal and disposal of the materials/debris.
- Follow-up environmental testing at the site.
“Although the full clean-up effort will take quite some time, we’re working diligently to get it moving,” said Snow. “The sooner we get started the sooner we’ll get it finished. We’re going to keep pushing forward every day until we can put this behind us and look ahead.”
The city said it will continue to use its website to provide updates as new information becomes available.
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