The city of Richmond set up a
community help line: 765-973-9300.
The
city also has a web page for more information: https://www.richmondindiana.gov/news/warehouse-fire-information.
Week of May 15, 2023 Update
EPA conducted a preliminary site assessment to determine
next steps in the cleanup of the My Way Trading warehouse fire site. EPA
collected a 54 soil, debris and asbestos samples from the three properties located
in the warehouse fire site area. Twenty-nine asbestos samples and 25 soil/debris samples were collected. The samples will be sent to the lab for analysis.
EPA conducted the assessment per the request of the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management.
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Richmond Debris Cleanup Completed
On May 4, 2023, EPA crews completed debris collection at 330 private and public properties in Indiana and Ohio. These properties have been cleared to resume normal outdoor activities. EPA visually inspected an additional 512 locations for debris and found no evidence of presumed asbestos-containing material.
On April 19 and 20, EPA activity-based sampling showed no asbestos particles could spread through the air during yardwork activities after debris was removed. At a property where EPA removed debris from the fire, EPA contractors followed a rigorous two-day process taking air samples as they conducted day-to-day yard activities including mowing the lawn and using a leaf blower. Sampling results are posted in the documents section at response.epa.gov/MyWayTradingWarehouse.
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May 5, 2023, Site Update
EPA has ended fire debris collection. All owners that signed
access agreements to have their properties visibly inspected and debris
collected have been contacted. In total, EPA collected debris from 330 private and public properties in Indiana and Ohio. For
future questions about the site, please contact the city of Richmond.
In the next few weeks, EPA will conduct additional
assessment activities, including sampling fire debris for hazardous materials,
at the fire site. The agency will coordinate all future activities with the
city.
May 1, 2023,
Site Update 2 p.m.
Residential debris collection
will end this week. To
date, EPA has collected debris from 245 private and public properties in Indiana and Ohio. EPA
visibly inspected for debris at an additional 511 locations and found no
evidence of presumed asbestos-containing material. To have EPA come to your home to pick up debris, please send
a signed access agreement to Rachel at linduska.rachel@epa.gov no later than
Wednesday, May 3. The access form is available in English or Spanish in our documents section.
April 28, 2023, Site Update 2 p.m.
Residential debris collection continues. EPA anticipates
completing all debris collection in the first week of May. To date, EPA has
collected debris from 165 private and
public properties in Indiana and Ohio. EPA visibly
inspected for debris at an additional 438 properties and found no evidence of
presumed asbestos-containing material. To have EPA come to your home to
pick up debris, please fill out and sign the access agreement in English or Spanish in our documents section and email Rachel at linduska.rachel@epa.gov.
All data
documents have been posted to the website. The remaining
air sample summaries samples are now available.
April 26,
2023, Site Update 2 p.m.
Yesterday, EPA, local and state agencies met with about 120
residents from Indiana and Ohio to answer questions about this response. EPA
shared photos, brought in air monitoring and sampling equipment to show what
was used at the response and more. An updated Frequently
Asked Questions document was shared and is available on the website.
Residential debris collection continues. To date, EPA has collected debris from 112
private and public properties in Indiana and Ohio. To have EPA come to your home to pick up debris, please fill out and sign the
access agreement in English or Spanish in our documents section and email Rachel at linduska.rachel@epa.gov.
April 25,
2023, Site Update 12 p.m.
Tonight, EPA will be at the
Fairview Elementary School, 60 NW L St, Richmond, Indiana,
from 4 – 8 p.m. to answer questions one-on-one with residents from Indiana and
Ohio.
Residential debris collection continues. To date, EPA has collected debris from 94
private and public properties in Indiana and Ohio. To have EPA come to your
home to pick up debris, please fill out and sign the access agreement in English or Spanish in our documents section and email Rachel at linduska.rachel@epa.gov.
EPA received
some final, validated air sampling data that is posted to the website.
The agency will continue to post data as it becomes available. EPA also posted
results in the documents
section from the activity-based sampling that took place April 19 and 20 to
ensure no asbestos particles from activities such as mowing and leaf blowing
would have the potential to be in the air. At a property where EPA removed
debris from the fire, agency contractors took air samples as they mowed the
lawn and used a leaf blower. Throughout the rigorous two-day air
sampling process, EPA results showed no asbestos. EPA has determined that once
the debris is removed from the yard, it is safe to resume outdoor activities as
normal.
April 24,
2023, Site Update 2 p.m.
To date, EPA
has collected debris from 60 private and public properties in Indiana and Ohio.
EPA completed debris collection at schools, daycares, community centers and
parks on the city and county’s priority property list. To have EPA come to your home to pick up
debris, please fill out and sign the access agreement in English or Spanish in our documents section and email Rachel at linduska.rachel@epa.gov.
Tomorrow, EPA will be available to speak to residents one-on-one
at the Fairview Elementary School, 60 NW L St, Richmond, Indiana. The agency will answer
resident questions about debris collection and air monitoring and sampling. City,
county and state officials will also be present to answer questions. Residents
from Indiana and Ohio are encouraged to attend.
April 21, 2023, Site Update 2 p.m.
On Tuesday, April 25, from 4 – 8 p.m. at the Fairview Elementary
School, 60 NW L
St, Richmond, Indiana, local, state and federal agencies will be available
to speak with residents one-on-one and answer any questions they may have about
the fire, debris collection, air monitoring, health-related and more. Residents
from Indiana and Ohio are encouraged to attend.
To date, EPA has collected
debris at priority properties identified by the city and county including
schools, daycares and parks in Indiana and Ohio. EPA also started
collecting debris at residential properties. As of this morning, crews have
collected debris at 17 schools, 18 daycares, 1 community center, 8 parks and 7
residential properties. To have EPA
come to your home to pick up debris, please fill out and sign the access
agreement in English or Spanish in our documents section and email Rachel at linduska.rachel@epa.gov.
If
you do not have any debris on your property or EPA has removed debris from your
yard, it is safe to mow your lawn and conduct other yard activities (e.g. leaf blowing). EPA
conducted robust activity-based sampling to ensure no asbestos particles from
activities such as mowing
and leaf blowing would have the potential to be in the air. At a property where
EPA removed debris from the fire, agency contractors took air samples as they
mowed the lawn and used a leaf blower. Throughout the rigorous two-day air
sampling process, EPA results showed no asbestos. EPA has determined that once
the debris is removed from the yard, it is safe to resume outdoor activities as
normal.
April 20,
2023, Site Update 12 p.m.
Air
Monitoring and Sampling
Yesterday, EPA conducted roving air
monitoring at approximately 10 locations in the city of Richmond and set
up stationary air monitors around the perimeter of the fire site. EPA has not
detected volatile organic compounds or particulate matter emissions for the
last three days. After consulting with the city and state, EPA ceased air
monitoring and sampling around the site at 10 p.m.
Debris Collection
To date, EPA has collected debris at priority properties identified by the city
and county including schools, daycares and parks in Indiana and Ohio. As
of this morning, crews have collected debris at 17 schools, 16 daycares, 1
community center and 6 parks. EPA will soon begin debris collection at residential properties. To have
EPA come to your home to pick up debris, please fill out the access agreement
in English or Spanish in our documents section and email
Rachel at linduska.rachel@epa.gov.
April 19, 2023, Site Update 12 p.m.
Air Monitoring and Sampling
Yesterday afternoon, the Richmond fire chief declared the fire officially out.
Air monitoring and sampling results have shown low to non-detect levels of
particulate matter. Based on these results, EPA consulted with Ohio EPA and
discontinued the stationary air monitoring station in New Paris, Ohio. EPA
discontinued overnight roving air monitoring around the city of Richmond but
continued stationary air monitoring around the perimeter of the site at four
locations. Today, roving air monitoring will take
place at 20 locations around the city of Richmond. Overnight, EPA conducted air
sampling in Indiana and will post results when available.
Debris Collection
To date, EPA has
collected debris at priority properties identified by the city and county
including schools, daycares and parks in Indiana and Ohio. As of this
morning, crews have collected debris at 16 schools, 10 daycares, 1 community
center and 2 parks. EPA will soon begin debris collection at residential
properties. To have EPA come to your home
to pick up debris, please fill out the access agreement in English
or Spanish
in our documents section and email Rachel
at linduska.rachel@epa.gov.
April 18, 2023, Site Update 2 p.m.
Air Monitoring and Sampling
The fire continues to smolder. Yesterday and overnight, EPA did not detect
contaminants of concern. EPA has reduced the number of air monitors and air
sampling equipment in the community. EPA continues 24-hour air monitoring.
EPA posted additional maps of air monitoring locations as well as
air monitoring summary results to the website under the documents
section. EPA will post final,
validated air sample results when available. Air sampling involves collection of air for laboratory
analysis. The purpose of air sampling is to measure how much of a specific
contaminant is present in the air over a period of time. The quality
assurance/quality control process may take weeks to finalize.
Resident Questions
EPA posted a Frequently
Asked Questions document to our website to address resident questions. The
agency will continue to update this document as the response continues. Wayne County Emergency
Management Agency and the city of
Richmond also have additional information on their respective websites.
Debris
Collection
Testing
confirmed that some of the debris from the fire contained asbestos. EPA is
offering to safely remove debris from all yards and outdoor areas. EPA
contractors are searching for debris from the fire, flagging what they find,
and removing it. OSHA standards for workers state that EPA and its contractors
must first evaluate the potential for worker exposure prior to downgrading
protective gear. EPA received sample results that showed crews could downgrade protective
gear to gloves
and use tongs while picking up debris. The crews place flags next to any debris
they find to mark their location and will remove the flags as debris are
collected. As a precautionary measure, EPA will collect all debris identified
at the property.
EPA
is offering free debris collection. To have EPA come to your home to pick up
debris, please fill out the access agreement in English
or Spanish
in our documents
section and email Rachel at linduska.rachel@epa.gov.
EPA recommends residents should not disturb debris that may have come from the
My Way Trading warehouse fire. Debris may contain asbestos; disturbing
debris may lead to asbestos exposure. EPA is coordinating with local
officials to prioritize areas where debris will be collected including schools
and daycares, public parks and residences in Indiana and Ohio.
EPA may begin using unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, to help conduct roof
inspections for potentially asbestos-containing debris. This will allow
EPA crews to identify whether debris needs to be collected from roofs of
buildings and/or homes. Use of UAS would be safer for crews, and potentially
eliminate any need to physically go on a roof for an inspection. EPA will
inform property owners before a drone is used and will have them sign an access
agreement.
April
17, 2023, Site Update 12 p.m.
Air monitoring
EPA is conducting 24-hour air monitoring until the Richmond Fire Department
declares the fire is out due to the potential for flare ups at the site. For
all contaminants, overnight air monitoring results were non-detectable levels
except for particulate matter. Particulate levels were in the “good” range
according to the Air
Quality Index. Air sample results for volatile organic compounds were
mostly non-detectable levels with one low level detection for benzene just
north of the fire site. EPA posted roving air monitoring data to the website
and will post final, validated air sample results when available.
Yesterday, Wayne County Emergency
Management Agency made the decision to lift the evacuation order in the
half-mile radius surrounding the site. EPA’s air monitoring data and
preliminary air sampling data taken at the site and in the surrounding
communities was provided to the EMA and to the Wayne County Health Department.
EPA’s data sharing agreement with local, state and federal responding agencies
allows the agency to share preliminary data with these entities. Final data
will be made public after the quality assurance/quality controlled process.
Debris Collection
Beginning Saturday, April 14, EPA prioritized debris collection at
schools, daycares and city parks in Indiana and Ohio that continues today. Crews are searching for debris from the fire,
flagging what they find, and removing it while following OSHA standards for
workers, which state that EPA and its contractors must first evaluate the
potential for worker exposure prior to downgrading protective gear. As
EPA waits for sample results to come back from the lab, crews will continue to
wear protective gear while collecting debris. A reminder to residents – please leave any debris alone — do
not touch debris or mow over it until EPA crews come to your residence.
April 16,
2023, Site Update 6 p.m.
At 4 p.m. today, Wayne County Emergency
Management Agency made the decision to lift the evacuation
order for residents living in the half-mile radius surrounding the site, as
well as the shelter-in-place order. EPA continues to conduct 24-hour air
monitoring and sampling until the Richmond Fire Department declares the fire is
out since the potential for flare ups at the site may still occur.
EPA continues to
provide air monitoring and sampling data results to the Wayne County EMA and
Wayne County Health Department. EPA air sampling results from Friday
evening detected volatile organic compounds in some samples consistent with
previous reports. Air sampling results from Saturday evening confirm an
expected decline of VOCs, as expected as the fire continues to go down. EPA air monitoring overnight and today has
shown particulate matter in the evacuation zone and in the community, as
expected from smoldering and flare ups. Future data will continue to be shared with local, state and
federal officials. EPA is posting air monitoring results to the website under
the documents
section. Once the agency receives final, validated air sample results, EPA
will post them to the website as well.
Debris
Collection
EPA prioritized collection of debris at schools, daycares and city parks in
Indiana and Ohio today that will continue tomorrow. Crews are searching for debris from the fire, flagging what they find, and
removing it while following OSHA standards for workers, which state that EPA
and its contractors must first evaluate the potential for worker exposure prior
to downgrading protective gear. As EPA waits for sample results to come
back from the lab, crews today wore protective gear while collecting debris.
April 16,
2023, Site Update 11 a.m.
EPA
continues 24-hour air monitoring and sampling. Friday night, EPA detected benzene
in the evacuation zone after flare ups from the smoldering fire. The fire continued
to smolder overnight with two flare ups. Also overnight, bonfires lit at homes around
the city may interfere with air monitoring readings.
EPA
will continue to collect debris at schools, daycares and city parks today. EPA is also working with local and state
officials to finalize a plan to collect debris from homes in the surrounding
communities
A fact sheet
has been posted in English
and Spanish
about debris collection on our website under the documents section. These will
also be handed out in the community.
April 15, 2023,
Site Update 7 p.m.
This morning, EPA
crews began collecting debris at schools near the Richmond fire site, including
three schools in Richmond and one in Ohio. Crews are searching for debris from
the fire, flagging what they find and removing it. Some residents may have seen
crews in protective gear. Per OSHA standards, EPA must evaluate the potential
for exposure first. Once exposure levels are demonstrated to be safe,
protective gear will be downgraded. EPA is also working with local and state
officials on a plan to collect debris from homes in the surrounding
communities.
EPA continues 24-hour
air monitoring and sampling. The agency is sharing data with health agencies
and local and state entities to help inform their decision whether to lift the
evacuation order. No determination has been made at this time.
April
15, 2023, Site Update 9 a.m.
Debris
Collection
This
morning, EPA crews will begin to collect debris at schools in Richmond and Ohio.
EPA is working with local and
state agencies to develop a debris collection plan in the surrounding
communities and will provide information to residents to schedule debris pick
up at their homes. Since the debris may have asbestos-containing materials, EPA
reminds residents to continue to leave any debris alone —please do not touch
debris or mow over it – until EPA crews come to your residence.
Air Monitoring
EPA continued downwind mobile air monitoring at several
locations including at the hospital and several long-term care facilities. Due
to the predicted cooler temperatures and light and variable winds, additional
mobile air monitoring points were added around the perimeter to accommodate any
potential wind shift.
EPA continues mobile air monitoring for products of
combustion expected from a plastics fire. Overnight air monitoring around
the community did identify particulate matter, as expected from the smoldering
fire. None of the additional analytes were detected around the community. From
the evacuation zone, air monitoring detected particulate matter. Air
monitoring did not detect any additional analytes from the evacuation zone area.
Water
Sampling
The
city of Richmond and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management are
leading efforts to sample surface and municipal water.
Fire Update
The Richmond Fire Department remains in
the lead to address hot spots and flare-ups at the warehouse. Yesterday, the
Richmond Fire Department informed EPA that PFAS-free foam was used to suppress the
remaining hot spots at the warehouse. The city of Richmond and IDEM are in the
lead for managing runoff from the scene.
April 14,
2023, Site Update 9 p.m.
What’s the
difference between air monitoring and air sampling?
The goal of air
monitoring at the fire site is to quickly detect contaminants in the air so
that actions can be taken to protect the safety of the first responders. Air
monitoring uses electronic devices to measure concentrations of contaminants.
These devices can be set up quickly and collect real-time air data. These data
are used to guide actions in the field by indicating the location of the
chemicals in the air which may be of concern. Stationary (not
moving) and mobile (moving or roving) air monitors provide continuous real-time
data of air contamination to inform when concentrations rise above thresholds.
Air sampling involves collection of air for
laboratory analysis. The purpose of air sampling is to measure how much of a
specific contaminant is present in the air over a period of time. For this
response, samples are collected over 24-hours and are submitted to a laboratory
for analysis.
The agency has used the
following air monitoring and sampling instruments:
- Single Point Monitors
- MultiRAE Pro
- TVA 2020
- Handheld DustTrak
EPA has posted air monitoring data summary tables in our documents section. As EPA continues to
receive data, we will post it to our website. Our goal is to get information
out to the public as soon quickly as possible. To date, EPA has conducted roving air monitoring at 51
locations, taking a total of 1,169 measurements. EPA will continue 24-hour air
monitoring and sampling.
EPA anticipates
as early as tomorrow the agency will begin to collect debris in priority areas
including schools and public parks. Since the debris may have
asbestos-containing materials, EPA reminds residents to continue to leave any
debris alone —please do not touch debris or mow over it. EPA is working with
local and state agencies to develop a debris collection plan in the surrounding
communities.
April 14, 2023, Site Update 9 a.m.
EPA continues 24-hour air monitoring and sampling at the
site and around the community. The fire department is addressing hot spots and
flare ups, the fire is not extinguished.
Beginning yesterday evening,
cooler temperatures and fire resulted in ground level smoke. At the response
command post, located around the center of the evacuation zone, EPA air
monitors detected hydrogen cyanide, benzene, chlorine, carbon monoxide and
volatile organic compounds. Immediately following the detections of HCN and
benzene, EPA alerted the fire department so they may take worker safety
precautions.
Overnight, EPA collected 9
mobile air monitoring points from around the community. EPA also operated
9 stationary particulate meters inside and outside the evacuation zone. EPA detected particulate matter, as expected from a fire. Despite the
detections of compounds at the command post, which is located at the center of
the evacuation zone, none of the additional analytes were detected outside of
the evacuation zone in the community.
EPA collected 6 air samples
for volatile organic compounds. Air samples for this period were 24-hour samples. Air sample locations were co-located with the
stationary particulate meters. Samples will be submitted for laboratory
analysis and results will reported early next week. Results will be
shared with public health partners for context and posted to the EPA website.
Yesterday, EPA received air
sample results from the on-site smoke plume during initial fire operations.
Several volatile organic compounds were detected but all were VOCs EPA would
expect within smoke from a plastics fire.
EPA posted
a map of the roving air monitoring locations from 1 a.m. April 12 – 5 p.m.
April 13. The map can be found under our documents section. EPA will continue
to post air monitoring and sampling location maps and will post results when
available.
April 13, 2023, Site Update 3 p.m.
This afternoon, debris sample results confirmed the presence
of asbestos-containing material. EPA is working with local and state officials
to develop a plan to address debris found in the surrounding neighborhoods. Asbestos-containing materials may release
fibers when they are disturbed. Residents should continue to leave any
debris alone —please do not touch debris or mow over it.
IDEM issued Air
Quality Action Days through Friday, April 14, in Wayne and Randolph counties.
IDEM is forecasting elevated levels of particulate matter in the air due to
smoke from the fire.
EPA has conducted
roving air monitoring at 34 locations, taking a total of 721 measurements. Ground-level
air monitors continues to detect particulate matter, as expected from a fire.
EPA has received one air sample result, taken
in real-time at the location of the fire on April 12. The result shows volatile
organic compounds present. This result is representative of what firefighters
might be exposed to and not what the broader community would have been exposed
to. EPA conducted 24-hour air sampling on Wednesday, April 12 at the local
hospital and anticipates those results in the next couple days. Those results
will be more representative as to what the broader community could have been
exposed to during that time. The half-mile evacuation order remains in effect
and EPA will continue to provide all air monitoring and sampling data to the
local and state officials including health agencies to help inform their
decision-making.
April 13, 2023, Site Update 11 a.m.
Overnight, EPA continued air monitoring and sampling in the
city of Richmond. EPA is also monitoring air near New Paris, Ohio. Mobile air
monitoring locations were chosen based on wind direction. Yesterday, wind
direction was coming from the southwest traveling north/northeast. Cooler
temperatures and a cooler fire overnight caused more ground level smoke. Wind
direction also changed overnight traveling north/northwest. Air monitoring at
ground level continues to detect particulate matter, as expected from a fire.
The city of Richmond and IDEM are in the lead for managing
water runoff from the scene. The city is collecting surface water samples at
the Middle Fork East Fork Whitewater River and will share results with EPA.
EPA is waiting for debris sample results to determine whether asbestos-containing
materials may have left the site. EPA reminds residents to leave any debris
alone and not touch it until EPA sample results are back. Do not mow over the
debris. Once officials determine the nature of debris, new information will be
shared as soon as it’s available.
April 12, 2023, Site Update 9 p.m.
The fire continues to burn, and the half mile evacuation
order is still in effect. EPA continues to conduct 24-hour air monitoring and
sampling in the community. At this time, Ohio EPA has requested EPA support for
particulate air monitoring in Ohio.
EPA is collecting debris samples from the fire. Initial
sample results should be available tomorrow morning. EPA is evaluating school
grounds for any potential fire debris. If debris is found will sample for
asbestos. Asbestos-containing materials may be present due to the age of the
building. EPA reminds residents to leave any debris alone and not touch it
until EPA sample results are back. Do not mow over the debris. Once officials
determine the nature of debris, new information will be shared.
April 12, 2023, Site Update 12 p.m.
EPA’s air monitoring has
detected particulate matter, as expected during a fire. The agency is also
monitoring the air for products of combustion expected from a plastics fire
including:
- particulates
- carbon
monoxide
- volatile
organic compounds
- benzene
- chlorine
- hydrogen
cyanide
- mineral
acids (H2SO4 and HCl)
EPA will continue 24-hour air monitoring at the response.
Monitoring takes place at the ground level. During the fire, smoke rises with
the heat. Once the fire cools down, EPA anticipates seeing more smoke at ground
level.
EPA has also started air sampling at different locations in
the community. Sample results are anticipated in the next days or weeks,
depending on laboratory analysis.
The agency started collecting debris samples in the surrounding community to determine
whether asbestos-containing materials may have left the site.
Asbestos-containing materials may be present due to the age of the building.
EPA reminds residents to leave any debris alone and not touch it until EPA
sample results are back. Do not mow over the debris. Once officials determine
the nature of debris, new information will be shared.
Five on-scene coordinators from EPA are on site to assist
with the response at the request of the Richmond Fire Department and Indiana
Department of Environmental Management. EPA continues to work closely with
local and state responders that include: Richmond Fire Department, several
local fire departments, Wayne County Emergency Management Agency, IDEM, Indiana
State Fire Marshall, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Indiana
State Police and Wayne County Health Department.
April 12, 2023, Site Update 9 a.m.
Overnight, EPA began air monitoring around the site at 15
mobile monitoring locations. EPA continues to assist local and state agencies
responding to the fire at the My Way trading warehouse. The fire department
remains the lead agency for the response. Today, in addition to air monitoring,
EPA will collect debris samples in the surrounding community to determine
whether asbestos-containing materials may have left the site. Residents are
asked to leave any debris alone and not touch it until EPA sample results are
back. Do not mow over the debris. Once officials determine the nature of
debris, new information will be shared.
The fire department said the fire is under control but
continues to actively burn or smolder. At this point, the fire department is
trying to contain the fire and anticipates the fire will continue to burn for
several days.
Background
On Tuesday, April 11, around 2:30 p.m. EDT, two warehouses
containing large amount of chipped, shredded and bulk recycled plastic caught
fire in Richmond, Indiana. The fire department is currently the lead agency for
the response. The Indiana Department of Emergency Management requested EPA
assistance and EPA was on site by 8 p.m. That evening, EPA, in consultation
with the responding local and state partners, established mobile air monitoring
locations at the site and in the community.