Moody landfill fire: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
* Pillion, Dennis (January 10, 2023) "How do you put out a landfill fire? Alabama county weighing options." {{AL}} | * Pillion, Dennis (January 10, 2023) "How do you put out a landfill fire? Alabama county weighing options." {{AL}} | ||
* Pillion, Dennis (January 10, 2023) "Moody landfill fire likely ‘a crime scene,’ top county official says." {{AL}} | * Pillion, Dennis (January 10, 2023) "Moody landfill fire likely ‘a crime scene,’ top county official says." {{AL}} | ||
* Crenshaw, Samuel Jr (January 13, 2023) "‘Is It Soup Yet?’: Engineer Submitting Plans for Putting Out Landfill Fire." ''[[BirminghamWatch]]'' | |||
* Pillion, Dennis (January 16, 2023) "Moody landfill fire: Class action lawsuit filed against ‘illegal unauthorized dump site’." {{AL}} | * Pillion, Dennis (January 16, 2023) "Moody landfill fire: Class action lawsuit filed against ‘illegal unauthorized dump site’." {{AL}} | ||
* Pillion, Dennis (January 17, 2023) "Seven weeks in smoke: How Alabama residents are coping with Moody landfill fire." {{AL}} | * Pillion, Dennis (January 17, 2023) "Seven weeks in smoke: How Alabama residents are coping with Moody landfill fire." {{AL}} | ||
Revision as of 12:21, 17 January 2023
The Moody landfill fire is an uncontrolled fire burning through an underground multi-layer debris pile covering 23 to 50 acres in a "green waste" landfill operated by Environmental Landfill Inc. on Annie Lee Road, partly in the city of Moody and partly on unincorporated land in northwestern St Clair County.
Under its permit, the landfill accepts only plant matter and storm debris, and therefore its regular operations are not regulated by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). In 2018, following a complaint, ADEM conducted an inspection of the landfill and found a potential of fire hazards, along with evidence of automotive, medical, industrial and hazardous wastes not allowed by its permit. It has been claimed that non-authorized waste was removed from the site before the fire broke out.
The fire was reported on the morning of Friday November 25, 2022 and is believed to involve an area of approximately 25 acres and up to 100 feet thick. The Moody Fire Department initially responded to the scene. Firefighting officials have said that it is not feasible for them to attempt to extinguish it, and that their activities would focus on preventing it from spreading.
The Alabama Forestry Commission and ADEM have visited the scene and provided technical advice, but it has fallen to the St Clair County Commission to head the public response. The county has received several bids from private contractors with experience fighting underground fires, and expects to forward those proposals to state and federal officials for approval before awarding a contract. While some initial discussions centered around smothering the fire with soil, that method has been deemed unsafe for the conditions at the site. The bids considered, falling in the range of $2-3 million, all involved attempting to put out the fire with a combination of chemical foams and water, with some excavation work to access hotspots. Bids involving chemical agents also address measures to prevent runoff into Big Black Creek.
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management has recommended that nearby residents limit outdoor activities, seal openings to their homes, and install high-quality filters in their HVAC units; and that particularly sensitive residents may benefit from relocating.
JCDH and GASP have placed air monitors at the edges of the landfill to document hazardous conditions. Trussville City Schools curtailed outdoor activities.
On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 the St Clair County Commission declared a state of emergency and prepared to solicit state and federal assistance. On January 10 Commission president Stan Batemon said that it is likely the site will be treated as a crime scene with other agencies attempting to discover how the fires started, and whether illegal dumping put residents at risk.
Class action suit
In December 2022 attorneys from Heninger Garrison Davis filed a class-action suit in St Clair County Circuit Court seeking damages from the operators, Charlie Rich and Environmental Landfill Inc.; and the property owners, the Scott Russell Management Trust.
References
- Pillion, Dennis (December 23, 2022) "Landfill fire near Birmingham still burning 28 days later. Now what?" AL.com
- Archibald, John (December 28, 2022) "ADEM: Alabama Doesn’t Even Matter" editorial. AL.com
- Koplowitz, Howard (December 29, 2022) "Possible punishment for Moody landfill fire won’t be given until underground blaze put out: State." AL.com
- Pillion, Dennis (January 3, 2023) "Moody landfill fire declared state of emergency: Plan of action coming, St. Clair County leaders say." AL.com
- Pillion, Dennis (January 6, 2023) "Moody landfill fire: Watch the stunning drone footage." AL.com
- Pillion, Dennis (January 10, 2023) "How do you put out a landfill fire? Alabama county weighing options." AL.com
- Pillion, Dennis (January 10, 2023) "Moody landfill fire likely ‘a crime scene,’ top county official says." AL.com
- Crenshaw, Samuel Jr (January 13, 2023) "‘Is It Soup Yet?’: Engineer Submitting Plans for Putting Out Landfill Fire." BirminghamWatch
- Pillion, Dennis (January 16, 2023) "Moody landfill fire: Class action lawsuit filed against ‘illegal unauthorized dump site’." AL.com
- Pillion, Dennis (January 17, 2023) "Seven weeks in smoke: How Alabama residents are coping with Moody landfill fire." AL.com