The smoke from a large industrial fire at a plastic recycling facility in Richmond, Ohio, was not completely evacuated on December 30, 2015 by the US Environmental Protection Agency
The large industrial fire at a former Plastic Recycling plant was quickly contained by firemen, but the order to evacuate for nearby homes and businesses was still in place. The site is located near the border with Ohio.
When they are able to return home will mainly depend on whether or not the air in their community is safe to breathe. The US Environmental Protection Agency carried out air sampling and monitoring of the area after they warned that the smoke from the fire was toxic.
An announcement was initially expected Saturday on when evacuation orders could be lifted, but Richmond city officials later said that no determination had been made. “We have another meeting in the morning to determine the best time to lift the evacuation order,” Mayor Dave Snow said Saturday evening.
Those downwind from the fire were asked to continue to shelter in place “if they feel they are in danger or find themselves in a smoke plume,” emergency officials said.
Brown told CNN there was no product being off-gassed from the fire. “What we have coming off of it is mainly a white smoke or some steam. We have no plume. We have a wind that’s pushing things out.
Inside the facility there are hot spots and occasionally small fires that will smolder for days and cause smoke, soot and the smell of burnt plastic, emergency officials said.
Wayne County Environmental Emergency Officials notified that asbestos had been used in the 1980s and 1980s a building insulation material and that it had been toxic to humans
Wayne County emergency officials said that some samples of debris tested positive for asbestos.
Asbestos was used in some building insulation materials until the 1980s, and some items that burned in the fire contained the microscopic fibers, the agency said.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring, but very toxic, substance that was once widely used for insulation. When inhaled or ingested, asbestos fibers can become trapped in the body, and may eventually cause genetic damage to the body’s cells. Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
Officials said that schools impacted with debris will be cleared first, and then contractors will begin to deploy drones to search rooftops for additional debris, according to the post.
According to the post, after school grounds are cleared contractors will remove debris from residential properties, parks and/or public areas.
Christine Stinson, who heads the Wayne County Health Department, said that particulate matter, which can cause respiratory problems if breathed in, was a primary health concern for residents.
Separately, the EPA said it was continuing to monitor and take samples of the air around the clock and confirmed that on Friday it detected the presence of benzene, which is also harmful to humans, in the evacuation zone.
As for the water quality, testing downstream of the fire site is underway and officials say they have not found anything of immediate alarm, including any sign of fish kills.
There was some ash and plastic debris, but weir booms are capturing it. Likewise, Indiana American Water has also been closely monitoring the drinking water and has reported no unusual readings or results from testing,” Wayne County emergency officials said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and likely won’t be known for weeks, officials said. But local leaders have shared concerns since at least 2019 that the facility had hazards and building code violations, records show.
The EPA said it has begun collecting debris at schools, daycares and city parks in the aftermath of the First Day of Firefighting
The EPA said it began collecting debris at schools, day cares and city parks on Saturday and that it was also working with state and local officials on a plan to collect debris from nearby homes.
People who suspect that debris from the fire ended up on their property are being encouraged to call the Richmond Community Helpline and also register their information with the EPA.
The former business on the site, My Way Trading was ordered to clean up the property but failed to do so, according to the mayor.