Listen to Fire Chief John McQueary Update the City Council
By Michael V. Hannigan
Athens Fire Chief John McQueary updated the City Council on the status of the Ag Services fertilizer fire site Monday night.
The fire May 29 at the ammonium nitrate storage facility at 105 Larkin Street operated by East Texas Ag Services caused officials to set up an evacuation zone in approximately a five block radius. Ammonium nitrate is an important fertilizer that was on the premises at both the Athens fire last week and the West Fertilizer Plant fire and explosion in April 2013.
Monday night, McQueary said since ammonium nitrate is still located at the site, Ag Services owner Ken McGee, Jr. has been asked to erect a six foot fence and have a person on watch around the clock.
The fire chief told the council multiple agencies had to approve a plan for the removal and disposal of the ammonium nitrate and the debris left by the fire. He said the plan has been put together and the various agencies are going through the approval process.
The fire chief said he did not know how long that would take.
He said he asked for the agencies to expedite the clean up, but said, “It’s got to be done right. If we miss a step, we’ll pay for it later.”
In a separate item, City Administrator Pam Burton told the council that city staffers were working on updating the zoning ordinance to account for hazardous materials, including ammonium nitrate.
Burton said the city actually had multiple options for dealing with the issue, and said staff including attorney Connor Bateman were working to “make sure we have everything covered.”
