On Tuesday, August 9, about 9:15 PM, a large fire erupted at EQ Resource Recovery Inc., a licensed hazardous waste facility located at 36345 Van Born Road in Romulus, Michigan (Latitude 42.1581 & Longitude -83.2388). The Incident Command and the EPA Command Post are now located at the EQ Facility on Van Born Avenue. The facility has approximately thirty-nine (39) above-ground storage tanks ranging in sizes up to 15,000 gallons, of which twenty-nine (29) were impacted by the fire/explosion. In addition, a propylene glycol re-boiler and a drum pad with overhead canopy and approximately four-hundred (400) drums of various products were destroyed. Multiple fire departments with more than one-hundred (100) firefighters responded, with Incident Command (IC) established by the Romulus Fire Chief. Due to the intensity of the fire and the nature of the material involved, approximately twelve-hundred (1,200) homes, as well as GM and Ford Motor Company manufacturing facilities, were evacuated in the Cities of Romulus and Wayne. Shelters were set up at the two Romulus area high schools and a church hall.
Preliminary air samples collected in the fire smoke plume and analyzed by the EPA-ERT TAGA unit did not show elevated levels of hazardous materials, as determined by ATSDR, Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), and the Wayne County Health Department (WCHD). In addition, six wipe samples were collected and sent to the EPA-ERT laboratory and analyzed for base/neutral/acid compounds (BNAs). After reviewing the analytical results from the first six wipe samples collected, the health agencies determined that the chemical concentrations were below health concern levels, and the residents were allowed to return to their homes. Continuous air monitoring of the perimeter of the facility and in the neighborhood downwind of the facility was conducted utilizing Area Raes, which were monitoring for VOCs, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, oxygen and lower explosive limit. U.S. EPA START and REAC contractors continued investigating the residential area impacted by the plume by collecting four wipe samples from twenty residential properties, two from the upwind and downwind side facing the fire. The EPA-ERT laboratory analyzed the wipe forty samples (with additional samples for field and laboratory blanks) for BNAs and metals. Laboratory results were shared with the health agencies, which then made recommendations on how the residents could cleanup fire debris from their lawns and pools.
On August 31, 2005, EQ's contractor continued to remove materials from the fire damaged tanks for disposal. The U.S. EPA START contractor (START) continues work on-site documenting site activities through photos and written documentation, updating costs, and updating pollution reports.
On September 1, 2005, EQ's contractor removed the remaining sludge from tanks 1, 6 and 11. The insurance companies continued the on-site investigation. START continues oversight of the removal actions.
On September 2, 2005, EQ's contractor removed remaining material from tanks 8 and 10. The insurance companies continued its investigation. The EQ contractor began disposing of the damaged/burnt drums located on the drum pad. START continues oversight of the removal actions.
On September 3, 2005, EQ contractors finished cleaning tanks 15, 16, 34, 35, A, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. START continues oversight of the removal actions.
On September 4, EQ's contractor began crushing empty drums located on the drum pad. Final cleaning of Tank 44 and the DES tank took place. START continues oversight of the removal actions.
On September 5, 2005, EQ's contractor continued crushing of drums on the drum pad. START continues oversight of the removal actions.
On September 6, 2005, EQ's contractor cleaned and off-loaded for disposal a tanker truck that was on-site during the fire. START continues oversight of the removal actions.
On September 7, 2005, EQ's contractor removed tank A from the tank containment area with a crane. Drum crushing and disposal continued. START continues oversight of the removal actions.
On September 8, 2005, EQ's contractor removed tanks 1, 8, and 11 from the tank containment area with a crane. Cleanup of the drum pad continued. START continues oversight of the removal actions and established a records repository in the City of Romulus.
On September 9, 2005, EQ's contractor removed eight roll-off boxes of debris from site for disposal. START continues oversight of the removal actions.
On September 10, 2005, all the tanks have been removed from the tank containment area and several have been cut up and placed in roll-off boxes for disposal. START continues oversight of the removal actions.
Continue EPA Oversight of the Removal Action.
Conduct oversight and documentation of clean-up activities.
EPA is continuing to work on an AOC with EQ.
A records respository was established at the Romulus Public Library located at 11121 Wayne Rd., Romulus, MI 48174 on Thursday, September 8, 2005.
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