By Aria Bendix and David K. Li -
NBC News
A fire at a Richmond, Indiana, plastics recycling plant released toxic chemicals into the air, including hydrogen cyanide, benzene, chlorine and carbon monoxide, according to results of laboratory tests commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency. (EPA, for its acronym in English).
“We detected two new contaminants, hydrogen cyanide and benzene, right at the incident command post, which is in the center of the evacuation zone,” Jason Sewell, the EPA coordinator who attends area.
Firefighters put out a fire in Richmond, Indiana, on April 13, 2023.Michael Conroy / AP
Sewell explained that the Richmond Fire Department, which was working to extinguish the fire that started Tuesday afternoon in the warehouse of this disused factory, which kept large amounts of crushed and recycled plastic, was notified about the two dangerous compounds detected.
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The Wayne County Emergency Management Agency ordered the evacuation of all residents within a half-mile radius.
The fire raised a large cloud of black smoke over Richmond and surrounding cities in eastern Indiana and western Ohio.
Local and federal officials warned residents Wednesday that the smoke from burning plastic could contain cancer-causing toxins.
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Hydrogen cyanide is a very toxic gas and in high doses it can be fatal, depending on the time in which it is exposed.
Long-term exposure to benzene causes several types of cancer, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, and Hodgkin's lymphoma.
The World Health Organization has said that there is no safe level of exposure to benzene in regards to the risk of contracting cancer.
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Christine Stinson, executive director of the Wayne County Health Department, explained that government analysts need time to review the results of air and water samples to determine long-term public health threats.
“We will definitely inform the public about what risks they have been exposed to if they did not respect the evacuation zone,” he said, “we don't want to scare anyone, but this was a plastic fire.
There were certain particles in the air."
The EPA said Thursday it had found asbestos in samples it collected from ash that fell in neighborhoods up to 1.5 miles from the fire.
Asbestos can cause several types of cancer, including lung, larynx, and ovarian cancer, and mesothelioma.
No amount of exposure is safe, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
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Flames and smoke were no longer visible in the area of the fire by Friday afternoon, but firefighters remained on site this weekend to prevent a flare-up.
"Stay away from the place," asked his boss, Tim Brown, at a press conference, "let us take care of it and everyone will be safe."
Area residents have been instructed not to touch ash that fell in their yards, and especially not to use lawn mowers, because they could kick up hazardous material and make it easier to inhale.
Ash from the fire was all over Lynn Childers' farm in New Paris, Ohio, six miles away.
She told NBC News Thursday that she felt irritation in her throat and nose.
"My throat was burning
," she said.
“I didn't pay attention to it because I didn't know the severity,” she added.