EPA takes Action at Environmental Landfill Inc in Moody, Ala.
MOODY, Ala. (January 19, 2023) - The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has formally requested the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lead the response in extinguishing the ongoing fire at the Environment Landfill Inc. in Moody, Ala., after receiving results from air monitoring and sampling.
"EPA’s first priority is to ensure the wellbeing of the residents… the community wants to see action and are understandably concerned about the landfill fire’s impact on their health, safety and quality of life,” said Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “Immediately following ADEM’s request, EPA mobilized to gather critical data. Based on the results of that data, it was clear that further action was necessary. Today, we are putting boots on the ground to address the fire so that all impacted can breathe a sigh of relief.”
ADEM requested that EPA mobilize resources to perform air monitoring and sampling at the site of the fire on January 4, 2023. EPA responded and conducted air monitoring and sampling on and in the immediate vicinity of the facility on January 6 and 7, 2023. The air monitoring process included three rounds of 8-hour samples for a total of 24 hours of monitoring and sampling, which was intended to measure particulate concentrations as well as chemical constituents in the emissions from the fire.
The EPA has received and reviewed the data packages which included volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and at the request of ADEM, asbestos. Based on the results of this sampling effort, site specific considerations, and ADEM’s request, EPA has deployed two Federal On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) to the Site to oversee and coordinate EPA activities.
As of today, EPA Environmental Response Team (ERT) and EPA technical assistance contractors are being deployed to provide air monitoring support, and EPA cleanup/response contractors have been activated to implement fire mitigation operations.
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