Industrial Leak Caused By Scrappers Quickly Contained By WFD
Posted
Staff Report-
Quick action by the Warsaw Police Department and Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory is being credited in averting an industrial spill.
Warsaw Police say people trying to steal copper from the old Arnolt Corp. building were responsible for the spill, which was quickly contained, according to a news release issued Friday afternoon.
The incident began Jan. 22 when Warsaw police responded to an apparent trespass at the Arnolt Corp. building on Durbin Street.
Police soon realized several scrappers were attempting to steal copper coils from the building and that a transformer that housed the copper coils had been breached, causing oil to begin leaking from the unit.
Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory was immediately summoned and was able to shut off the source of the oil and contained the spill with absorbents and by blocking a floor drain.
Due to the quick action of both city departments, the spill was completely contained. No contaminants passed into the stormwater drains, the release said.
Several suspects have been apprehended in the incident and face serious charges. Other details were not released.
Officials realized the oil contained the potentially toxic chemical PCB, and the incident was reported to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Those two agencies worked with the State Fire Marshal.
All traces of PCB oil were removed by EPA contractors and packaged and taken to appropriate disposal sites.
State and federal agencies are working with the bankruptcy trustee for the Arnolt building on the matter. All samples of the materials removed are being analyzed.
Coincidentally, the city has been working with the Michiana Area Council of Governments, the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams, and the Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. on an EPA brownfield grant request to be submitted this week. The brownfield grant would provide funding for a comprehensive environmental site assessment, as well as future planning for revitalization of the Arnolt site.
