Cleanup at the Barwick Mills fire site in LaFayette is expected to begin after 

the new year. Until then, there will be round-the-clock security, 

David Andrews, on-scene coordinator from the federal Environmental 

Protection Agency.

The cleanup, which is expected to take nine months, and security will 

both be paid for by the building’s owner, Crutchfield Properties LLC, 

and by Ashgan Products, which was  leasing a portion of the building, 

city manager David Hamilton said.

Global Environmental will handle the security and likely hire off-duty 

police looking to earn extra income.

Andrews said the security is necessary to keep people from stealing metal 

for resale, as well as to protect people from injury since the site has, for 

example, a lot of sharp metal.

The old plant, which was no longer in operation, burned down Saturday, 

Nov. 14, sending out huge plumes of black smoke with unknown 

contaminants and pollutants. The nearby  Chattooga River turned blue, 

apparently from runoff of water used to put out the blaze.

Official don’t know if asbestos is present but the site will be treated as such,

Andrews said.

The cleanup effort will include palletizing the brick, moving the scrap 

metal to recycling, and keeping the rubble wet to remove asbestos.

Andrews said smoke during the first day of the fire, within a quarter of 

a mile, was the most dangerous to breathe in, but would be like any 

other structure fire, based on what is known at this time as to what 

chemicals were on the site.

(Walker County Messenger)