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More than 1 million pounds of chemical lost in Carus fire in La Salle, 15% of plant lost in damage

EPA seeks to dispel resident concerns on drinking water, chemical pollutants

By Olivia Doak
A hazmat team cleans up chemicals at Carus Chemical on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023 in La Salle.

A HAZMAT team cleans up chemicals Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at Carus Chemical in La Salle. (Scott Anderson)

A fire at Carus Chemical in La Salle on Jan. 11 destroyed more than one million pounds of potassium permanganate, leaving residents with questions about their health after the chemical was released into the environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency has not found any health risks to residents after taking samples of nearby soil, water and air for testing. HAZMAT teams from HEPACO and RMS Environmental are cleaning up the site under the supervision of the Illinois EPA and U.S EPA.

“The runoff and chemical debris has already been cleaned up, now they’re turning their focus to structural and metal debris, including tearing down the remainder of the building and moving the scrap off site,” said JoLynn Anzelc, Carus communications manager.

Jim Mennie owner of Precision Washing Exterior Washing, uses a power washer to rinse off the siding of a home on Porter Street on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023 in La Salle. Residences who were affected by the Carus Chemical fire can have their homes washed. Carus has approved contractors available to assist with washing. Contact the Carus hotline at 815-224-6662 to get on their list.

Jim Mennie, owner of Precision Washing Exterior Washing, uses a power washer Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, to rinse off the siding of a home on Porter Street in La Salle. Residents who were affected by the Carus Chemical fire can have their homes washed. Carus has approved contractors available to assist with washing. Contact the Carus hotline at 815-224-6662 to get on their list. (Scott Anderson)

Clean up at the site is expected to be completed by the end of next week. Anzelc said HAZMAT suits are standard for any environmental cleanup and serve as an extra precaution.

The fire originated in the warehouse of the plant, where the majority of the potassium permanganate was stored. The fire rendered the warehouse building a total loss, according to Carus. Minor damage was sustained to the other parts of the plant. Carus estimates 15% of the plant was lost to fire damages.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Environmental contractors under the direction of the EPA continue to perform perimeter air monitoring around the facility for any air contamination.

The EPA said in an event like the Carus chemical fire, the exact chemicals released are rarely known. It is known the oxidizer potassium permanganate was released. The EPA tested for acids and other oxidizers, which were of concern but not involved in the fire.

“The other concern was general particulate matter (PM), which are very small particles or ash from materials consumed in the fire, which are indicated on U.S. EPA air monitoring reports as PM10 (small particles) and PM2.5 (very small particles),” according to a statement from the EPA. “U.S. EPA also monitored for the standard parameters of oxygen, lower explosive limit, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).”

Summaries of the data are available on the EPA website at https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=15910.

There are no impacts to nearby water treatment plants or city drinking water, according to the EPA.

“Drinking water is already extensively monitored in the city of LaSalle on an ongoing basis,” according to a statement from the EPA. “Based on the local geology, it unlikely that the manganese dioxide, (the name of the form of potassium permanganate after being neutralized) which may remain on the soil, will migrate to groundwater in concentrations where it might cause concern.”

The city of La Salle has a Disaster Maintenance Plan created about a decade ago, according to the EPA. The plan is not event specific but is to be used as a general guide for city responsibilities and roles following a major disaster. This plan was last updated and reviewed in January 2021.

According to U.S. EPA records, Carus did not have a risk management plan. Carus is not a risk management program facility and is not required to have one.

Jim Mennie owner of Precision Washing Exterior Washing, uses a power washer to rinse off the siding of a home on Porter Street on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023 in La Salle.

Jim Mennie, owner of Precision Washing Exterior Washing, uses a power washer Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, to rinse off the siding of a home on Porter Street in La Salle. To aid the community in cleaning up after the oxidant was released on residents’ homes, cars and other property, Carus created a hotline that has received more than 250 calls. (Scott Anderson)

To aid the community in cleaning up after the oxidant was released on residents’ homes, cars and other property, Carus created a hotline that has received more than 250 calls. Carus has donated 42 car washes and nine car details. The vendor hired by Carus to power wash homes has completed 17 houses, Anzelc said.

Carus is actively accepting new requests for power washing and other clean up. For assistance, call the hotline at 815-224-6662.

“It is inspiring to see everyone come together in the wake of this fire,” said LaSalle Mayor Jeff Grove in a statement. “I am impressed that Carus is acting so quickly to clean up the neighborhood, and I am happy to see other local businesses rally to support these efforts as we all rebound together. This is a testament to the strength of our community.”

Weekly meetings between government agencies, Carus and the city of La Salle will begin on Thursday, Jan 19, to provide further updates.