Firefighters walk out of the site of an industrial fire in Richmond, Ind., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Authorities urged people to evacuate if they live near the fire. The former factory site was used to store plastics and other materials for recycling or resale. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
RICHMOND, Ind. — Nearly 500 tons of steel have been removed from the site of the My Way Trading Warehouse fire in Richmond, Indiana.
According to a Facebook post from Richmond Mayor-Elect Ron Oler, about 466 tons of steel have been removed from the site. The steel has been recycled and sold, which has saved the city approximately $124,000, according to Oler.
Oler wrote that, to date, 700 tons of non-hazardous waste have been removed. Cleanup operations are currently paused for a holiday break.
According to documents Oler attached to his Facebook post, the project is estimated to cost about $2.6 million.
Per previous reporting, cleanup is expected to continue into spring or summer 2024. No exact completion date for the project has been provided yet.
Lead and benzene have been identified at the site of the fire. Previous reporting indicates asbestos was not detected.
