U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Applegate Lane Containers

 
Site Contact:
Chuck Berry
FOSC

(berry.chuck@epa.gov)

Site Location:
6213 Applegate Ln
Louisville, KY 40219
 response.epa.gov/applegatelanecontainers
NRC#: 1374856

 

Interactive maps and LIVE data

Documents and reports

Images

Send email to EPA

 

Jump to: 

Update Air Monitoring Reports Background Updated 11/3/2023:
Info on Waste Staging at the wastewater treatment plant

 

 

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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

 

 


Remaining wall and floor of basement after demolition and removal of hazardous materials Container wall being dismantled. Crane loading each container onto a truck for demobilization Site overview after completion of demolition Site overview after completion of demolition Oct 24 - removal of material from basement is nearly complete Oct 23 - structural materials are removed separately in a manner that will not disturb chemical containers in the basement Oct 23 - first floor has been removed and extraction of material from basement has begun KYDEP has setup and continues to maintain an air monitoring network around the waste containers that are being temporarily staged prior to disposal Oct 22 - the remaining materials from the first floor are removed without disturbing the basement Waste containers with building materials are open while containers with chemical materials are lined and covered. Demolition of house ongoing. First phase is to remove roof. Demolition of house initiated. First phase is to remove roof. Demolition of garage initiated. Multiple containers found and removed from the building. Fern Creek Fire Department's Aerial Apparatus in the background and EPA Contractor's Tanker Truck with a water deluge cannon in the foreground. These apparatus would blanket the Site with water should a fire occur. Demolition of garage continues. Multiple containers found and removed from the building. Site entrance from Maple Hill Road. Container wall, access points, and contingency measures have been installed. Partial demolition of garage surrounded by container wall EPA START contractor installs air sampler on excavator Remnants of garage during demolition surrounded by container wall Non-hazardous waste roll-off box to the right. Excavator mixing dirt for solidification and breaking open containers in the Thermal imaging camera watchin Site setup complete ready for demolition. Boxes used for disposal. Potential hazwaste box in lower left, Shielding has been installed on the front and side glass of the excavator being used to deactivate hazardous materials in the Fern Creek FD has positioned a ladder truck over the container wall and the house to provide firefighting support in the event of a runaway reaction Example of air monitoring stations that are being deployed around the site. Shower installed for decontamination if necessary Responder gathers small containers that are being segregated for special packaging and disposal. An aerial lift is used to position a thermal-imaging camera that scans the site 24 hours per day Radio antenna used for air monitor communications Evacuation and Shelter-In-Place zones around the Site. In the event there is a fire or release at the Site, this plan will be activated to protect residents and the surrounding community. PDF is available in the documents section Vegetation has been cleared. Beginning installation of container wall Vegetation has been cleared. Beginning installation of container wall Front of the Site prior to setup activities beginning. Trees were removed from the front yard prior to this photo. Power pole in front of the Site. Power was disconnected prior to site setup activities Front of Site prior to site Fence around Site prior to preparation phase. Public meeting to present planned activities as well as shelter-in-place and evacuation zones during the demolition phase. Wide Area Sampling event - EPA START contractors process samples after collection Wide Area Sampling event - EPA START contractors distribute samples to local and state responders for collection EPA prepares to make entry into the Site on August 14 to conduct inspection and air monitoring/sampling EPA prepares to make entry into the Site on August 14 to conduct inspection and air monitoring/sampling