Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Fire topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident demands answers on cleanup, inspections after 'Battery And Things' chemical fire
Summary
A LaSalle resident pressed the council for details after a chemical fire at a local battery shop, asking about inspections, monitoring, and prevention; the fire chief said hazardous-materials readings were within normal range and the Illinois EPA will oversee remediation.
A LaSalle resident told the council he was concerned about the health and safety impacts of a recent fire at 'Battery And Things' and requested written responses about inspections, the quantity of batteries stored, monitoring of air/water/soil, remediation timelines, and potential code or zoning changes to prevent future incidents.
Nicholas Mazzarelli identified himself as a LaSalle resident and asked the council for follow-up: "When was the last date the city inspected the Battery And Things facility? ... Also exactly how many batteries were stored in the facility, if anybody knows that." He also asked what the city is doing to coordinate continuous monitoring of air, water, and soil, and what timeline exists for cleanup.
Council members thanked first responders and described a large mutual-aid response to the recent Friday-night incident. The city asked the fire chief to report on environmental monitoring. Chief Stewart said the site had been monitored by a hazardous-materials team and Illinois EPA emergency-response personnel and that "all readings were within normal range." He noted a slight elevation in pH of water entering the sewer system that was diluted before reaching the wastewater plant; Illinois EPA personnel conferred with the hazardous-materials team, left the scene after being satisfied with readings, and "are going to be, probably, hands on on the remediation of the site going forward," he said.
The council recorded appreciation for mutual-aid partners and said it will check in with responding agencies; the transcript records the mayor thanking the chief and other responders. The council did not adopt an ordinance or new code change at the meeting; Mazzarelli requested written answers from the city, and the meeting record shows the clerk accepted his remarks for the record.
