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Fire Extinguished at Hillcrest Industries Work Will Continue to Ensure Piles Do Not Reignite

Release Date: 10/15/2012
Contact Information: Elias Rodriguez (212) 637-3664; [email protected]

(Buffalo, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the fire at the Hillcrest Industries facility in Attica, New York is now fully extinguished. The EPA is arranging the plastic and glass piles on site to a more manageable size to avoid reignition. A fire management and temperature monitoring plan will be in place until the material is processed and removed from the site.

“This is truly good news for a community that endured months of odors and smoke,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “The EPA will remain on site to make sure new fires don’t start and we will keep the community informed.”

"Extinguishing the fire ahead of schedule is a welcome development for the community," NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens said. "DEC continues to work with EPA to address the site and appreciates EPA's assistance in extinguishing the fire."

The EPA began its work to put the fire out on September 29, 2012. Since that time, nearly 49,000 cubic yards of material was moved and, where necessary, cooled. The fire was officially extinguished on Sunday, October 14, 2012. The EPA remains on site to support the fire management and temperature monitoring plan. There is still some visible steam coming from parts of the pile, as the material is warmer than the outside air.

Recent results of air monitoring show no detectable levels of volatile organic compounds. Levels of particles have also been very low throughout most of the work. Data from previous lab analyzed results are posted on the EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/removal/hillcrest/index.html and will be updated as the agency gets more final results.

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