Wednesday, April 03, 2002

$2 million of EPA fund could go toward tire fire cleanup

   The Environmental Protection Agency has approved up to $2 million to clean up the Roanoke County tire dump that caught fire more than a week ago, an agency spokeswoman said Tuesday.

    Previously, the EPA had approved spending $500,000 in Superfund money, with the possibility of more. The ceiling now stands at $2 million, EPA spokeswoman Carrie Deitzel said.

    "We don't have to spend it all," Deitzel said.

    The money comes out of the EPA's Superfund program, although the tire dump has not been designated as a national priority site. Right now, the site falls under the EPA's removal program, which addresses short-term, imminent threats to health or environment, on-scene coordinator Mike Zickler has said.

    Millions of tires have been burning on W.J. Keeling's property off Starlight Lane in south Roanoke County since March 23. This week, a Texas fire control company hired by the EPA is expected to begin extinguishing the smoldering tires, many of which are buried and in ravines.

    The extinguishing process, which involves breaking the fire into pieces, is expected to take three to four weeks.

    EPA on-scene coordinator Chris Wagner has estimated the EPA will be at the site for about three months for emergency response. Nothing has been said about long-term presence by the EPA.

    - KIMBERLY O'BRIEN

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