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Sunday, October 17, 2004
Environment - Barrel and drum recycler allegedly abandons site
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reported yesterday, in a story headlined "Thousands of industrial barrels found: EPA cleans up abandoned firm," that:
A NIPSCO worker trying to remove a gas meter for non-payment discovered a mountain of rusting industrial barrels filling the site of a defunct recycling firm.The story includes a map and photo.Formed in 1959, Hassan Barrel Co. cleaned out used barrels so they could be reused. But the company apparently closed abruptly last summer, leaving workers locked out and the site covered with an estimated 10,000 barrels, with as many as 1,000 of them with industrial waste still inside.
The facility, on Summer Street off Wayne Trace, has been declared a superfund site and is getting an emergency cleanup by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contractors.
Bill Simes, EPA Region V’s on-scene coordinator, said there is no immediate public health threat from the barrels – they appear to have been used for oil and paint – but officials do fear what could happen if there were to be a fire. That would send chemicals onto the ground and into the air, he said.
When state and federal environmental officials arrived at the site, it was unsecured. Now, they have cleared the fence line, locked gates and posted security guards. Tuesday, they started removing empty barrels, and by Friday afternoon had taken away about 1,000. Thursday, they conducted an informational meeting for neighbors.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 17, 2004 11:13 AM
Posted to Environmental Issues