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My Way Trading Warehouse Fire

 
Site Contact:
Jeff Wawczak and Allen Jarrell
On-Scene Coordinators

(Wawczak.jeffrey@epa.gov)

Site Location:
308 NW F Street
Richmond, IN 47374
 response.epa.gov/MyWayTradingWarehouse

Update 3/20/2024

EPA has completed cleanup of potential asbestos-containing materials. This Friday, EPA anticipates all equipment and personnel will be removed from the site.

Next week, EPA plans to hand the site back to the city to complete its non-hazardous cleanup. All further cleanup questions should be referred to the city of Richmond.

 

March 8, 2024

Progress Update:

As of March 4, all potential asbestos-containing materials have been removed from the My Way Trading site and disposed of in an appropriate facility. EPA continues to rinse off the concreate pad that remains. This is the last step in EPA’s cleanup. The agency will begin to remove equipment and personnel once this is complete.  

 

EPA collected 4 samples from the site and all 4 came back non-detect for asbestos. Throughout the response, personal air sampling and stationary sampling taken during the removal of the debris came back non-detect for asbestos.

 

Once EPA has left the site, the property will be handed back over to the city

 

February 20, 2024

Progress Update:

Steel removal and recycling activities are 95% complete at the site. As of Feb. 14, 124 truck trailers of scrap steel including structural steel, sheet plates and miscellaneous scrap metal have been removed from site. The last two remaining containers will be shipped this week. More than 846 tons of scrap metal have been rinsed, washed and transferred off-site to a local recycling facility.

Removal of potential asbestos-containing material began on Jan. 18, and continues. As of Feb. 14, 232 trailers of fire debris and suspected asbestos-containing materials were shipped off-site (approximately 5,919 tons) to an EPA-approved landfill.

 

December 15, 2023

Progress Update:

As of Dec. 15, EPA has washed, removed and recycled more than 60 truckloads of scrap metal weighing about 430 tons. Crews also removed and properly disposed of a large pile of fire-related non-hazardous waste debris weighing 654 tons.

Beginning Dec. 22, the work site will close due to the holidays and work will resume Jan. 8, 2024. 

December 1, 2023

Progress Update:

 On Oct. 30, EPA began the initial phase of the site cleanup. Crews began washing and sorting the steel left that remains on-site following the warehouse fire. As of Dec. 1 , EPA has washed and removed 220 tons of steel from the site and sent it for recycling at a local EPA-approved facility. EPA anticipates the remainder of the calendar year will be dedicated to steel removal. 

October 17, 2023

EPA to Begin Hazardous Waste Cleanup at My Way Trading Warehouse Fire Stie In Richmond, Indiana. 

EPA News Release - Link to News Release

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.

 

For More information on EPA activity prior to June 2023 please see: My Way Trading Previous Updates


Overview of the cleared site Overview of the cleared site Fence line between 310 NW F Street and 308 NW F Street Area on 310 NW F ST where Transformers were removed Scrap Metal being sorted before washing and recycling Area cleared at the base of the hill in the SE corner of 310 NW F St. Progress clearing 358 NW F Street SE Corner of 310 NW F Street 310 NW F Street Cleared of Debris piles of steel being washed and sorted piles of steel waiting to be washed and sorted Comparison photo of an area that has not been cleared as of 11/30 Area that has been cleared or steel leaving the Potential ACM to be removed. Steel being sorted and processed Steel debris mixed in with fire debris. Photo from the April 25 event where EPA, local and state agencies spoke one-on-one with residents from Indiana and Ohio about the response. Crews search for debris at a private property in Indiana Crews wet debris in a bag collected from a residential property in Indiana EPA on-scene coordinator walks behind crews searching for debris at a private property in Indiana EPA on-scene coordinator monitors crews searching for debris. Crews search for debris at a park An excavator moves industrial debris at the My Way Trading warehouse fire site in Richmond, Indiana. Flags identifying debris to be collected by EPA. The agency is collecting all debris seen, even if it may not appear to be from the fire. EPA crews search for debris at a public park. Potential piece of debris from the Richmond fire. Crews searching for debris at a school following the Richmond fire. Flags are placed by potential debris. Crew member searching for potential debris at a school following the Richmond fire. Crews flagging potential debris at a school following the Richmond fire. Structural debris from the My Way Trading warehouse fire. View of the warehouse remains following the fire. Structural debris from the My Way Trading warehouse site. Fire suppression efforts at the warehouse in Richmond. Stationary EPA air monitoring equipment in Richmond View of the burned warehouse with smoke in the background. Smoke from the Richmond fire with debris on the ground at the site Fire burning at night on April 11 Front Basement being backfilled Overview of the cleared site