EPA begins testing debris at site of toxic fire in Richmond

RICHMOND, Ind. — The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started testing the debris at the site of a toxic fire in Richmond on Monday.

Federal officials told News Center 7 this is the start of a months-long cleanup.

The fire site is fenced off and padlocked in a few places to keep people out.

The EPA went inside the fence line Monday to start testing debris for hazardous materials.

Allen Jarrell’s job is to help find out what’s in the debris pile that takes up an entire block. He is the US EPA on-scene coordinator.

Jarrell and his EPA coworkers have already taken samples that have confirmed there’s asbestos present.

“We’ll look for other hazardous contaminants, oils, acids, you name it, that might have been used at these facilities,” Jarrell said.

What the EPA finds will determine what kind of waste facility the debris gets hauled to.

News Center 7 asked Jarrell if what they find will also determine who cleans it up.

“The short answer is yes, because for us to do the cleanup we’re required to find hazardous constituents,” he said. “Once we know what we’re dealing with, then of course we’re going to proceed to the next step and they’ll get funding and approval for this site.”

Jarrell, another EPA employee and contractors walked the property Monday.

On Tuesday, he said they’ll start bringing in heavy equipment and will have their work wrapped up by Friday.

The EPA said once they take samples and send them to labs they’ll have their results back in about a month.

What those test results show will help officials come up with a plan of how to safely clean up this site.

News Center 7 asked Jarrell what his biggest concern is.

“Just to do this in a good, safe manner. We don’t want to disturb a lot of the debris,” he said. “We will have some heavy equipment headed to do some work. We’ll have some handheld monitors to make certain things, the dust and other possible contaminants, don’t get off-site.”

News Center 7 also asked whether people living or working near the fire site need to take any precautions as the EPA starts testing debris.

“No, that’s what we’re going to make certain,” he said.

We will continue providing updates on the cleanup process as new details become available.

The city said it will continue to use its website.

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