KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have declared all waterways affected by the fire at the Sherwin-Williams Shiloh Road Plant safe for unrestricted use, following a thorough cleanup and testing process.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have declared all waterways affected by the fire at the Sherwin-Williams Shiloh Road Plant safe for unrestricted use, following a thorough cleanup and testing process.
The decision comes after a five-day period of testing across 53 miles of impacted waterways, which revealed results below site-specific cleanup levels. Sherwin-Williams also completed a five-day flush of dechlorinated fresh water into storm drains, stream 2C4, and Duck Creek as part of the cleanup efforts.
During the process, over 1.5 million gallons of water were removed from the affected waterways, filling 75 tanks. The water is now being transported to state and federally-approved facilities for disposal. Two earthen dams, initially constructed to mitigate the spread of contaminants, have also been deconstructed.
The fire, which broke out at the Sherwin-Williams plant on S. Shiloh Road on August 7, 2023, around 1:20 a.m., was promptly addressed by the Garland Fire Department. Sixteen fire units responded to the scene, successfully suppressing the fire after about two hours. One employee was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
In the aftermath of the fire, the City of Garland collaborated with TCEQ and EPA to conduct comprehensive air quality and stormwater testing around the Sherwin-Williams Plant and nearby neighborhoods. The EPA carried out fly-over air monitoring assessments, all of which showed safe levels for air quality.
Foam retardant from the Sherwin-Williams fire suppression system had entered the stormwater system and surrounding creeks during the fire containment efforts. In response, TCEQ, EPA, the City of Garland, and Sherwin-Williams worked together to remediate the issues caused by the runoff and clean up any remaining foam.
Despite the observation of some dead fish in the affected creeks, no major impacts to public health have been identified. Dams were built and water was pumped out of the impacted creeks to prevent the spread of potential contaminants. Over one million gallons of potentially impacted water filled fifty tanks and was sent to a federal and state-approved disposal site.
After analyzing water sampling data, it was determined that contaminant concentrations had decreased throughout the week ending August 13. As a result, the retention dam in Duck Creek was released to restore the water flow to natural levels. The water is now deemed safe for agricultural use again.
