Site Facts
Municipality/County:
Manheim, PA
Site Location:
A & M Compost
2022 Mountain Roa
Current Property Owner:
American Compost Corporation
2650 Audubon Road, Audubon, PA 19403
Current Operator:
A& M Composting, Inc.
2650 Audubon Road, Audubon, PA 19403
What is the situation to date?
December 6: DEP was notified of a fire at the A&M Composting facility. The fire was in the building’s North biofilter, a large area filled with wood chips. Under normal operating conditions, this biofilter breaks down pollutants in the air that otherwise might result in nuisance odors from the composting process. DEP recommended that A&M extinguish the fire as soon as possible.
December 9: A&M reported that the fire flared up.
December 10: DEP conducted a site inspection and found the fire to be more severe than what A&M reported.
December 12: DEP informed A&M that violations were observed during the December 10 inspection and that it should be a priority for A&M to extinguish the fire as safely and quickly as possible.
December 15: DEP inspected the fire and found the fire and smoke to be more severe than what was observed on December 10.
December 16: DEP issued an Order to A&M requiring it to take steps to extinguish the fire immediately. As of December 15, DEP has maintained a daily presence at the site and continues doing so to ensure compliance with the Order.
DEP Emergency Response (ER) staff visited the site numerous times using handheld instruments to monitor air quality. Low readings of Carbon Monoxide and decreased Oxygen were detected inside the building, findings consistent with a fire. All readings were normal beyond 10 feet from the building. DEP ER staff also evaluated the contents of the building and did not identify any hazardous substances which would threaten public health and safety or the environment. Odors associated with smoke were and are present and, depending on weather conditions, there may be fine particulate matter at ground level.
December 23: DEP revised its Order to correct the permittee name to A&M Composting Corporation. DEP also issued a Notice of Violation for failure to take all necessary steps to extinguish the fire.
December 24: The fire in the North biofilter area was extinguished and the area was completely emptied as of December 26.
December 28: A fire had ignited in one of the composting bays inside the building. The compost material consists of sewage sludge/biosolids and wood chips. No hazardous substances (metals, volatile or semi volatile compounds, or acid vapors) are at the facility and the offsite concerns are similar to any other fire with nuisance odors and possible accumulation of fine particulate matter at ground level in some weather conditions.
December 31: A&M indicated that the fire in Bay 1 breached the south wall and has entered the South biofilter area.
What we are doing?
DEP continues to have a daily presence at the site to ensure the company is complying with the Orders, and that efforts to extinguish the fire are continuing.
DEP is closely watching the air quality conditions in the Lancaster County area. Winds are expected to continue from the west northwest with occasional gusts. There could be fluctuations in the wind over the site that can create swings in local air quality. No atmospheric inversions are expected, and we do not expect any daily exceedances of the fine particulate Air Quality Standard in the immediate future.
The process of transporting the burnt material that has been removed from the building for proper offsite disposal is expected to begin on or after Friday, January 2.
How does this affect you?
Air quality can affect your health. Smoke from the fire may intermittently affect air quality in the surrounding area. Conditions are dependent on weather and wind patterns and may vary over time.
Some groups of people may be at greater risk for experiencing air quality-related health issues and should avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion. They include:
- People with heart disease
- People with lung disease, including asthma, emphysema, bronchitis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Older adults
- Children and teenagers because their lungs are still developing, and they breathe more air relative to their size
- People who are pregnant
- People who work outdoors
If you experience symptoms like trouble breathing or dizziness, you should seek medical attention. If you know a family member or neighbor who has one of the above conditions, remember to check in on them.
To find the latest air quality levels and recommendations for your location visit airnow.gov.