(berry.chuck@epa.gov)

Site Location:
6213 Applegate Ln
Louisville, KY 40219
epaosc.org/applegatelanecontainers
NRC#: 1374856

Jump to: 

Final Site Update 10/31/2023

Demolition and removal of hazardous materials has been completed. Waste materials in large containers (aka “dumpsters” or “roll-offs”) have been transferred off-site for disposal.

Firefighting equipment and monitoring equipment have been demobilized; the live air monitoring data map has been closed. The container wall has been dismantled. Traffic disruptions on Applegate Lane will be limited to temporary lane closures to accommodate the loading and demobilization of heavy equipment.

Final work at the Site will include removal of concrete from the foundation of the building, land grading, and installation of vegetation for ground cover.

Air Monitoring Data Summary Reports: (click on link)
October 16
October 17
October 18
October 19
October 20
October 21
October 22
October 23
October 24
October 25

Background

 In late July 2023, the Louisville Metro Police Department executed a search warrant for properties at 6211 and 6213 Applegate Lane where they found explosives and other hazardous materials that posed a risk to human safety.

At the request of the City of Louisville, EPA responded and assisted in evaluating options for safe cleanup of the Site while incorporating the concerns shared by the surrounding community from a meeting held on August 7, 2023.

EPA was on site during the week of August 14 to assess the Site and found mercury contamination inside and outside of 6211 Applegate Lane. The EPA led a cleanup of the mercury contamination at the end of August 2023.

EPA entered Unified Command with Louisville Metro Emergency Services and Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection to complete the response at 6213 Applegate Lane. A strategy using controlled mechanical demolition was accepted by Unified Command and the City of Louisville. EPA will mobilize environmental response contractors to conduct the demolition and disposal work. 

Information on Waste Staging

EPA has temporarily moved waste containers with solidified materials from the Applegate Lane Containers site to a remote section of the Derek R. Guthrie Water Quality Treatment Center operated by Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD). There are several key things to note about this step of the project:

1. This is normal practice for an emergency response

The temporary staging of waste in a remote area on publicly-owned property is not unusual for emergency response work. This option is preferable over leaving large containers of waste on the property at Applegate Lane, and it is in a secure area away from residents.

2. The staging area is secure and remote

The property is fenced with locked and monitored gates, and the facility is manned 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. The nearest residence is a quarter mile away from the staging area – this is more than adequately protective.

3. Disposal arrangements still need to be made

After the waste is gathered into a container, it cannot be sent immediately to a disposal facility or landfill. The waste needs to be sampled, then an appropriate landfill needs to be selected and approved. This process can take a few weeks.

4. The containers are designed for this purpose

Hazardous materials removed from the building were deactivated to prevent reactions and solidified with adsorbent materials, then they were placed in disposal containers (aka “roll-off” boxes) that were lined with plastic to prevent leaks and covered to keep out rain.

5. Louisville MSD is not responsible for the waste

Management of the containers is the responsibility of EPA. The soil at the staging area was sampled before containers were brought to the area and will be sampled again after all of the containers have left. In the unlikely event that any contamination has occurred in the soil, EPA will ensure that it is adequately cleaned and replaced.

6. Air monitoring is being conducted as a precaution

Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection’s (KYDEP) Emergency Response program has setup an air monitoring network around the temporary staging area as a precaution to ensure that there are no reactions occurring in the waste containers. Live data from this air monitoring network is available at this link. To date, only measurements consistent with a municipal wastewater treatment plant have been recorded.