Завершена масштабная очистка опасного полигона Glycerin Traders в штате Индиана

Glycerin Traders site cleanup concludes STILLWELL — A multi-agency cleanup of the Glycerin Traders site in Stillwell has reached an end. “I’m pleased to announce that cleanup of the Glycerin Traders site, located in unincorporated La Porte County’s Stillwell area has successfully concluded,” said La Porte County Commissioner Joe Haney. “I completed the final walk through of the site last week, along with Building Commissioner (Mike) Polan and EPA’s Region 5 coordinator Allen Jarrell,” he added. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Glycerin Traders, 3522 State Road 104, Stillwell, operated as a waste-materials refining and processing facility between 2010 and 2024. The facility historically received waste oils, acids, flammables, solvents and unknown materials to be processed into usable products. Indiana Department of Emergency Management (IDEM) found Glycerin Traders in violation of numerous Resource Conservation and Recovery Act waste management practices. IDEM requested EPA assistance to assess whether the site met the criteria for a time-critical removal action from the agency in April 2025. The cleanup was extensive, spanning from mid-2025 through the end of July 2026, and involved federal, state and county agencies. “When I called for an investigation into the Glycerin Traders site roughly two years ago, I didn’t imagine that this much toxic and hazardous waste would be found. It’s mind blowing to think over 300,000 gallons and over two tons of solid waste were discovered and removed,” Haney said. EPA quantified more than 710 containers of uncontrolled liquid wastes on the property. Hazardous waste exhibiting the characteristics of ignitability, corrosivity and toxicity were identified at the site. EPA mobilized to the site on June 24, 2025, to begin the removal action process by conducting a site assessment by conducting a container inventory – more than 710 containers including frac tanks, drums, vats, totes, tanks, pallets and other miscellaneous containers – and sampling several containers with unknown contents. Labels on some containers indicated the potential presence of hydrochloric acid (HCl), organic peroxides (UN3109), potassium nitrate and oxidizers (UN3098). In addition, multiple totes of unknown acids and oxidizers were documented. Totes of acids, oxidizers and flammable oxidizers were observed to be stored on pallets in close proximity and there was a leak in the building’s ceiling above potentially reactive substances. EPA completed the removal and disposal of all hazardous materials on site, removing about 313,595 gallons of liquid waste and more than two tons of solid waste from tanks, totes, drums, pallets and other containers abandoned at the facility. “EPA’s total cleanup costs for the site are approximately $2.8 million,” Haney said. “Those are costs the county and local taxpayers couldn’t have covered, we’re extremely grateful for all of the hard work by the EPA Region 5 team,” he said. Agencies that responded and helped coordinate the cleanup and investigation included EPA Region 5 Response, EPA Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the Office of the Indiana State Chemist (OISC). La Porte County entities involved included the Sheriff’s Office, Building Commission, HazMat, EMA, E911 and Commissioner Joe Haney. Haney commended the interagency response and coordination. “I cannot speak highly enough of the individuals from the federal and state agencies that coordinated with our local county entities to bring this to a successful conclusion,” he added. The successful conclusion of the cleanup marks the end of a multi-year interagency effort to address the hazardous conditions at the Glycerin Traders site. A series of fires in La Porte County occurred from 2022-23 in buildings operated by Glycerin Traders. On June 19 and July 18, 2023, fires occurred at the company’s plant in Stillwell. Additionally, on Oct. 5, 2022, a large blaze occurred at 315 Brighton St. in La Porte, which Glycerin Traders was renting and using to store hand sanitizer. In November 2024, Glycerin Traders’ owner Dennis R. Zeedyk of La Porte was sentenced in federal court to four years in prison after pleading guilty to mail fraud and tax fraud by a distiller. Zeedyk, according to documents in the case, marketed and sold an “ethanol extraction” product as a pure food-grade product. The product contained high levels of methanol leading to multiple deaths and severe injuries.