COLUMBUS, Ohio – The owner of the Marion Road industrial site that exploded in flames on May 1 is putting together a timetable for cleaning up the site and must provide a list of his other Columbus properties to city officials by May 28.
READ MORE: In the Columbus Dispatch
That’s the date of owner Ebrahim Hooshiarnejad’s next court date before Franklin County Environmental Judge Daniel Hawkins, who toured the battered and blackened site at 611 Marion Rd. on Tuesday with state and city investigators.
They were told that Hooshiarnejad has lined up a contractor to remove debris from the site, where paper, plastic, cardboard and wooden pallets were stored for recycling operations.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is helping the owner figure out where he can send the debris, depending on whether it is hazardous, said agency spokeswoman Heather Lauer.
The site contains collapsed buildings, charred and melted steel, damaged trailers and other materials. Propane tanks exploded during the blaze, which took dozens of firefighters to extinguish.
At the same time, fire investigators hope to finish their probe of the cause by the end of the week, said Battalion Chief Tracy Smith. On May 2, an assistant fire chief said a forklift with overheated brakes likely sparked the fire. That since has been ruled out, Smith said.