News

Today, the City of Richmond joins with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in announcing the EPA will soon begin a hazardous waste cleanup operation at two NW F Street properties involved in the My Way Trading warehouse fire that took place on April 11th of this year.

The EPA announced the start of an estimated $2.8 million cleanup to address hazardous waste. The cleanup will start in November. The EPA cleanup will occur on the 310 and 358 NW F Street properties and will address various compounds including asbestos-containing material, lead, and antimony. The EPA’s investigation at other properties did not demonstrate compounds requiring EPA cleanup.

“The City of Richmond's top priority is protecting our residents,” said Mayor Dave Snow. “The EPA’s cleanup operation is an essential step towards ensuring their safety and the environmental health of our community. We will continue to work closely with the EPA as we move forward in addressing this unfortunate incident."

Residents can expect to see heavy machinery on-site beginning next week, with the main cleanup due to start next month.

Following its investigation conducted earlier this year, the EPA issued a liability letter to Cornerstone Trading Group, LLC (“Cornerstone”). The EPA has issued no such letter to the City of Richmond. The City understands that Cornerstone declined to pursue the cleanup, and the EPA cleanup will be funded through the federal agency’s funds. 

The City of Richmond appreciates the EPA's swift investigation and response to this incident and its ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of local residents. Per the City’s request, there are no plans to dispose of any hazardous materials removed from these properties at local landfills, rather the materials will be transported and disposed of at other appropriate hazardous waste facilities. In addition, the City notes that it is pursuing legal claims against Cornerstone for the costs the City has incurred related to the fire and the environmental investigation.

The EPA’s news release on the warehouse fire cleanup is posted on their site. Information from the EPA about the My Way Trading Warehouse Fire can be found on their response site at https://response.epa.gov/MyWayTradingWarehouse. Additional information previously released by the City can be found at https://www.richmondindiana.gov/news/warehouse-fire-information.