UPDATE: Demolition will begin soon at the BioUrja plant.
Interim Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger said equipment to demolish the damaged grain bins will be arriving soon. The goal is to have demo begin this weekend, he said.
Meanwhile, firefighters and a team with BioUrja began the mitigation process once more on Thursday morning.
Sollberger said the crew inspected the silos and determined that foam was no longer the best option, and nitrogen gas is being used instead.
“This was our first sense of optimism. We do like to say cautious optimism because this is still a fluid situation but definitely optimistic,” Sollberger said.
Experts estimate demolition could take 5 to 7 days.
A representative with the Illinois EPA sent WMBD the following statement:
Today, Illinois EPA is collecting water samples from the River and water runoff to determine any environmental impacts. Please note, Illinois EPA does not have the authority to decide techniques or strategies for fire suppression efforts. Those decisions are made by the fire department.
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — As the Peoria Fire Department continues to put out the flames at the BioUrja plant, fog Thursday morning could delay those efforts.
Interim Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger said the department is still at the plant as of 6 a.m., looking to begin the foam mitigation process again.
Demolition equipment will begin to arrive on Thursday and throughout the weekend as efforts gear up to start on Monday, May 30.
This is a developing story.
