EPA’s Response to Hillcrest Industries Fire
Contact:
Michael Basile (716) 551-4410 or (646) 369-0055 (cell); basile.michael@epa.gov
(Buffalo,
New York – Sept. 26, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently
took the lead on responding to the fire inside a 50,000 ton pile of plastic,
glass and other materials at the Hillcrest Industries
facility in Attica, N.Y. The EPA is working in concert with the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation, Wyoming County and Village of
Attica. The EPA’s primary goal is to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible.
In the past several days, the EPA has overseen the application of a fire
suppression agent called F-500 into the piles where the fires are smoldering.
This substance is designed to encapsulate and smother the fire by robbing it of
oxygen. The EPA has determined that this approach has not been successful in
this instance. The EPA has consulted with fire suppression experts and
determined that the best method for putting out the fire is to break up the 40
foot high, one acre pile of material into smaller segments and put out the
pockets of fire in those sections, extinguishing them with water and, if
necessary, foam. This activity is likely to produce some intermittent increases
in smoke, steam and odors from the facility.
In
order to do the work, heavy equipment will be brought in to dismantle the large
pile, and a system will be built to collect water that runs off the smaller
piles during fire suppression. In addition, the EPA will set up an air
monitoring network both on and off the site and will employ water foggers to
help control the temporary increase in smoke as the fires are uncovered. The
preparation work will begin immediately and the agency expects to begin breaking
up the large pile on Saturday, September 29, 2012.
“The
number one priority for the EPA is to put this fire out,” said Judith A. Enck,
EPA Regional Administrator. “By breaking the piles apart, we can expose the fire
and extinguish it in smaller, more manageable sections. While the work is going
on, there may be an increase in the smoke and steam coming from the fires and
also there may be visible steam or fog from the water misting system that will
help us control this increased smoke. I want to assure the community near the
site that we are doing everything possible to put this fire out quickly and
eliminate any smoke or pollution from being released into the air.”
Every
effort will be made to minimize the increase in smoke, steam and odors from the
facility, but residents nearby may want to keep their windows closed, and
children -- particularly those who have respiratory ailments -- should not play
outdoors if there is visible smoke in the area.
The
EPA has previously taken samples of air at the request of the DEC. That air
sampling resumed this week when the agency took the lead on the response.
Results from the first samples taken are being assessed and will be released
shortly. Information related to the EPA’s efforts and data from the sampling
will be posted at http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/removal/hillcrest/index.html.
12-117
# # #
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.