&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Removal of Burning Debris Pile
on Schedule
VIM Recycling Inc. Site
Elkhart, Indiana
October 2009
Community Availability
Session May be Offered
EPA wants to keep you updated on
the progress of the removal project.
In addition to this fact sheet, a
community availability session will
be held if there is interest from
neighbors.
If you are interested in meeting with
EPA, please contact Denise
Gawlinski at 312-886-9859 (or toll
free at 800-621-8431 ext. 69859), or
by email at
gawlinski.denise@epa.gov.
Please respond by October 30.
If there is sufficient interest, EPA
will schedule a community
availability session to provide an
update on the removal of the C Pile
and to answer your questions.
On the Web
The following web site contains
links to important documents and
progress reports on the removal of
the C Pile:
http ://www. epa. gov/region5/sites/
vim/index, htm
Halloween Schedule
To make Halloween more enjoyable
for everyone, workers will
temporarily stop excavating on
Friday, October 30. Removal
operations will resume on
Monday, November 2.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 is overseeing the removal of
a pile of wood waste at VIM Recycling Inc. EPA inspected the facility and
found a large pile of smoldering wood waste releasing smoke into the
neighborhood. EPA negotiated and entered into a legal agreement with VIM
called an administrative consent order requiring the company to remove the
smoldering debris by December 31. EPA expects the project to be completed
safely and on schedule, which will eliminate the source of the smoke and
reduce odors from the site.
Progress Update
So far, over 50 percent of the large pile of wood waste (the "C Pile") has been
excavated and screened. Larger pieces of wood are loaded onto trucks and
sent to a nearby landfill. The remaining material is stored on site for
composting and incorporation into a manufactured soil product. The material
left behind on site resembles topsoil.
As the hot debris is excavated, it sometimes generates significant smoke and
steam which can be seen or smelled off site. These conditions are expected
for the rest of the project, especially as temperatures drop later in the year.
Safety measures
EPA continues to ensure that workers try to reduce emissions of smoke and
dust. However, due to the heat within the C Pile, it is impossible to stop all
smoke and steam emissions. Temperatures are constantly monitored to
prevent conditions which may lead to a fire. To date, there have been no fire
outbreaks. The site is monitored regularly to catch and put out any fires that
may arise during nights and weekends. Finally, EPA has conducted air
monitoring during excavation, screening and removal operations to ensure
that the equipment operators, laborers and the community are safe.
A
NORTH
Progress ofC Pile removal since July 2009. The shaded area will
be removed by the end of the year.
-------
Contact information
You may contact these team members with any questions, comments or for more information:
Denise Gawlinski
Special Projects Coordinator
Air & Radiation Division (A-18J)
EPA Region 5
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
Phone: 312-886-9859 or
800-621-8431, Ext. 69859
9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., weekdays
E-mail: gawlinski.denise@epa.gov
Tania McDonald
Complaint Coordinator
Indiana Department of Environmental
Management
100N. Senate Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251
Phone: 317-232-4464
800-451-6027, Ext. 24464
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., weekdays
Web: http://idem.in.gov/5274.htm
Paul Ruesch
EPA Environmental Engineer
Land and Chemicals Division (L-8J)
EPA Region 5
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
Phone: 312-886-7898 or
800-621-8431, Ext. 67898
9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., weekdays
E-mail: ruesch.paul@epa.gov
Shannon Downey
EPA Environmental Engineer
Air and Radiation Division (AE-17J)
EPA Region 5
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: 312-353-2151 or
800-621-8431, Ext. 32151
9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., weekdays
E-mail: downey.shannon@epa.gov
uo paonpojday
pug Aq pa|8|diuoo eq oj 9||d jo |BAOiuey :gus 9NnOA03U
06SŁ-t>0909 II
•pA|g UOSJpec 'M LL
(C6T-d) SJIBJJV aiiqnd jo
S
------- |