Firefighters from the Ohio Township Fire Rescue responded to a call for an industrial fire at the Metalico metal recycling plant on Neville Island during the evening of Sept. 16.
Smaller fires handled by the facility are the norm at this recycling center where automobiles and appliances, among other items, are crushed or shredded for recycling purposes. Another large blaze occurred there on April 14, 2021 which resulted in an EPA violation. Metalico reportedly made changes at the facility in response to the violation.
As previously reported in Gazette 2.0, members of Allegheny County Clean Air Now, an advocacy group based in Emsworth represented by residents of various communities located near the site, have complained for years about the air pollution and noise they attribute to the Metalico scrapping plant.
Below is the statement from Metalico:
“On Saturday, September 16th, there was a fire at the Metalico Pittsburgh, Inc. (Metalico)’s plant on Neville Island. There were no injuries. The fire was contained to the loose metal material at the site; no vehicles, cars, or equipment were involved.
Metalico’s security guard notified the authorities and implemented Metalico’s Emergency Action Plan after detecting the fire at approximately 8:45 p.m. The Allegheny County Health Department and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) were notified. The PA DEP dispatched an Emergency Response Team member to the facility on the night of the fire. Metalico's Emergency Response Coordinator was also on-site to assess any potential offsite impacts.
A fire line and hydrants that Metalico installed in 2021 were used to suppress the fire until fire companies arrived on the scene. The fire department tied to Metalico’s line to assist in extinguishing the fire. Metalico would like to thank all first responders and government agencies who were involved in responding to this event.”