Gadsden, AL: Techtrix
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is cleaning up contamination at the Techtrix, Inc. site (the Site), an electroplating and metal finishing facility located at 525 Plainview Street in Gadsden, Alabama. The Site has been assessed and is secured. The cleanup is being performed as a time-critical removal action to permanently remove the material from the site and protect human health and the environment. The cleanup is expected to be completed within the next few months. All contaminated wastes will be sent to an approved off-site disposal facility. EPA will maintain on-site security until the contaminated materials are safely disposed.
EPA hosted a public meeting on October 15, 2024, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Mission Baptist Church in Gadsden, AL to discuss the cleanup. Please review the U.S. EPA Techtrix, Inc. Cleanup Fact Sheet (pdf) - Hoja informativa sobre limpieza de Techtrix, Inc. de la EPA de EE. UU. (pdf) for more cleanup information.
In March 2024, after the death of the property owner, the estate declared it could not complete required cleanup and closure actions. It then became necessary for EPA to assess the site for a cleanup. In July 2024, EPA conducted a site assessment, which included samples of the wastes and soil outside the facility. While the complete sampling results are still preliminary, they confirm liquid containing cyanide, stored in totes and vats, and corrosive wastes. An emergency response was initiated in August 2024 after a follow up site visit revealed several damaged tanks that were leaking and in danger of critically failing. The response action included emptying the tanks of the liquids and disconnecting utilities.
Community residents are strongly encouraged to avoid the property. Twenty-four-hour security is currently in place at the Site, and a fence and video cameras are being installed around the building perimeter to prevent anyone from entering.
More cleanup details, to include fact sheets, public meeting notices, etc. will be posted as they become available. For more information, please contact:
- Community Involvement Coordinator, Marjorie Thomas, at thomas.marjorie@epa.gov
- On-Scene Coordinator, Chuck Berry, at berry.chuck@epa.gov
- On-Scene Coordinator, John Maddox, at maddox.john@epa.gov