According to the what I found on the internet, E & R International also had an office in LaSalle at 732 First Street. Names I found associated with this are Roland Chiu, CEO and President, Yee Chiu, Vice President. Other names seem to have been employees working for them.
With a part time Fire Chief and a part time Building Inspector in the city of Peru, do they have enough time to check all businesses that might have similar products in storage among all the other things that are in their job description.
25 comments:
I want to know where the 2MG of water went during the fire? Is it safe to assume a large % discharged directly to the Illinois River? Was there an influx of water treated at the WWTP? Did anyone grab a sample of the discharge to test it?
Is it true the furniture store across the street had water in the store? Was it back water? Was it tested?
More questions than answers and this administration, the last, and the City Attorney are well aware these conditions existed and now residents in several municipalities will suffer the consequences for their lack of prior action.
Kristy
Lois my question is, did the boat belong to E&R?
Lois, To determine if the Asst. Bldg. Inspect and the Fire Chief have enough time to check all businesses that might have similar products in storage first it would require a historical elevaluation of how many hours per week are presently paid to these two positions.
When questioning a part time position versus a full time position you need to know what the requirements of the state are and possibly the contractual agreement of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and city. Rumor has it that the Asst. Bldg. Inspector draws pay for 32 to 36 hours per week and has five years of time on the job with only three more years to achieve vested rights and a paid retirement.
Secondly after conducting a historical evaluation of time on the job there would have to be a hands on study of the efficiency of the paid time.
As far as the amount of things that are in their job description this last week should make it evident where their priorities should have been and should be in the future.
Also take into consideration the fact that Peru has a code enforcer presently laid off and to be rehired this spring to do all of the leg work the ABI said he didn't have time to do. The ABI at one council meeting practically had two aldermen begging him to write a letter he said he previously did not have time to do. Therefore these aldermen made a motion to create ther job code enforcer which the Mayor laid off in November or December with the reasoning there was nothing for him to do until April. The ABI is paid $28.50/hr ands the code enforcer was paid $10/hr. This coming April the code enforcer will be handed the same paperwork he left in place in Nov. because the ABI will claim he has not had any time to do it.
Thirdly the amount of time to inspect similar businesses must be factored into the equation.
Well Kristy, all you have to do is establish where every one of the surface drains in the vicinity of Westclox are located. Just locate and identify all surface drains (catch basins) on and off the property in question as well as all surface drains on either side of the CSX Railroad right of way and all surface drains and catch basins along Water Street and Brunner Street. Next, you should determine where each and every pipe-run terminates and then you determine what if any part of the surface collection system has been seperated from the sanitary system or if the system in that area is still "combined". Because as you well know, "if" the collection system around Westclox is still "combined" there is no doubt that the Wastewater Plant has experienced an influx of the water that has been poured onto the blaze. Also, if there is any stormwater separation in the area of Westclox, old or new, that piping would likely terminate near to or directly into the ravine east of the property which eventually flows into the river anyway. Next, "if" the Wastewater Plant has in fact recieved an influx of water from the firefighting efforts then it is very likely that same water has undoubtedly come in contact with any number of exotic contaminants having been created as a result of the numerous combustible materials being exposed to temperatures easily in excess of 1200 F. So, assuming "that" water containing "those" contaminants has flowed through the City of Peru East Wastewater Facility which is of course only designed to treat typical municipal wastewater, it is quite likely that the wastewater treatment process would have removed little if any of the "posible" contaminants in "that" water. Therefore, it is quite likely that a considerable amount of the 2 MG plus of water that has been poured onto the blaze at Westclox is at this very moment somewhere between Peru and Grafton on the Illinois River and between Grafton and St. Louis on the Mississppi River. Except of course for any of that water which may have been drawm into the intake strucutres of the many municipalities downstream from Peru who draw their potable water from the Illinois River into their respective water treatment plants.
Is that sort of what you getting at Kristy?
As far as your questions about testing the run-off from the fire scene, I think IEPA would be the best source of info for that question. Or, you could ask you pals from TEST to run some complimentary analysis at no cost to the city. Only problem with that is, what do you test for? Could get expensive.
Steve we tend to agree on the discharge thoughts and I am certain their were scans that could have been performed for a few hundred dollars on the discharge to determine pollutants. I imagine most was run-off because if there were any major contaminants at the plant there would have been a potential for a "kill" at the East WWTP and I did not hear any such rumors etc.
Now remember Steve, we should always give credit where credit is deserved even to our "pals".
Kristy
Has anybody heard whether or not someone has been able to reach anyone who owned or worked for this recycling center? Besides the owner I believe other names have been mentioned in connection to this business.
does anyone honestly believe the only chemicals in that building were from the recycling business? i assume the authorities r asking lots of questions. and to the right people.
I don't know what kind of chemicals were in that building but I would like to know if anyone can answer some of the following questions:
1. Have the owners been reached yet?
2. Did people work in this location on a daily basis?
3. How often did they receive stock and from where?
4. How often did they ship out orders?
5. Did they rent out storage space and thus the presence of the supposed boat and gas can or was it theirs?
6. Were the owners negligent in the amount of product they had stored in this building?
Team Steve/Kristy. Common sense would tell you that the greater majority of the water evaporated while fighting the fire. Water professionals would realize that your reaching for air, not water. Please don't turn this fire into your quest to blame the professional water testing company for something that at best is your uneducated approach to water treatment.
9:42
Trust me when I tell you, there is NO team Steve and Kristy. In fact, I was the ONLY individual who publicly acknowledged TEST at the meeting for their efforts beyond those associated with a contract. The fact TEST did not know if they were going to lose their business in the fire, yet they performed with professionalism and beyond their required duties. TEST and a City employee researched during the fire WHY the hydrants were NOT receiving the proper pressure even using data loggers on the hydrants. Why because the chief was not receiving enough pressure in some hydrants and I assume he knew he could count on these individuals to rectify the problem.
I may be vocal when I believe things need to change in certain departments; but
I am also the first to acknowledge when people go beyond their "duties" and give credit to those individuals.
As far as all the water dissipating, you are wrong. Take a walk along the ditches on the East and West of the Westclox building-not only debri but also sediment in the creek bed already (I have pics if you would like). Apparently one of us in this conversation is more versed than the other.
Kristy
9:42 - I wasn't blaming anybody for anything. I was just trying to provide some specific detail to Kristy's claim that the city is responsible for some type of environmental impact from contaminated run-off from fighting the fire. I just tried to describe it the way I believe Kristy hoped the public would percieve it. You know, as if there is a danger to public health in Peru or possibly even contamination of the Illinois River and downstream water systems.
I never said I believed there was ever any threat to public health from the run-off, but it was pretty obvious that's exactly what Kristy was suggesting. I just wanted to make it crystal clear what she was insinuating in her initial comment at 10:45 a.m.
Steve please understand:
1. In all the years I have been associated with the City, have I ever had a difficult time "describing" or vocalizing City events? If I wanted to add "specific detail" to my original comment at 10:45 I would have, instead I was asking questions as many residents should. But thank you for adding the details in YOUR comment to make it clear what YOU may have been insinuating
2. If an environmental impact has occured due to the fire at the Westclox building and an investigation FINALLY occurs (that should have taken place in 2009 due to two correspondences from the AG's office) and your additional "crystal clear" interruptation at 12:43 than thank God! Isn't that a positive step for the first responders, students, and residents who were directly impacted by the fire?
3. "Perception is reality"-Lee Atwater
Kristy
Steve, should we all move out of town because of the numerous toxins that may have exposed our water system? Please publish those EPA documents that you have obtained or suggested to the readers that we have a public health epidemic on our hands. And of course the coverup conspiracy that you will soon inflict upon us. If you throw enough bs at the wall sometimes it will stick!
5:20 PM
Go back and reread that post, Steve did not write it. It was addressed to him but signed by Kristy.
Don't mean to change the topic above but I see that according to today's tribune the bridal shop has decided to relocate to La Salle. Can't say I blame them. Apparently this is their second bout with smoke damage in approximately 1 year while located in the Westclox complex. Not an ideal situation for them.
Does anyone remember a fire at the Westclox building last February?
Gee Kristy, I was just trying to help folks understand exactly what you were suggesting.
Just trying to help.
7:15 I don't remember another fire in the Westclox building last year.
Can't the full-time firemen do inspections like full-time firemen in other cities do?
Which city employee was testing water pressure during the fire? Was the superintendent aware of this testing?
Unless someone actually saw a member of the water dept. on scene, I don't think we would actually get an answer from anyone in the city government. I do know that water pressure was low when the fire started.
When does the owner and/or renter become liable? Repeatedly I have read of easy entry for weeks - open windows, broken windows etc. Also it has been stated by authorities that this building had been broken into in the last few weeks.
I understand that Westclox had a fire previously but as yet I have not heard of any private security nor a watchman being present and paid for by the building owner and or renter? Instead it appears that no was hired to guard the facility or report any illegal acts when the building was unoccupied.
What will be the costs of this huge fire? Enormous costs when water, manpower, equipment are taken into consideration. Will the owners insurance or the owner pay these expenses? Although the owners are conducting a very lucrative business it is also one in which extra precautions are to be taken? Who is going to held accountable for the cancer causing agents which have been released in the air blowing in the LaSalle- Peru area?
Closer surveillance of what is taking place in our area so that another political advertisement and dinner does not have to be given should be a must in the final professional report? Accident wise this time we were lucky, health wise time will tell how lucky!
And, if you read the newspaper articles E & R wants back into Wesclox and/or some other building in town.
Sure they want back into Westclox and /or some other part of town. Do you think that everyone has a invitation with open arms to a plastic storage area for out of country recycling? Wonder why? Take a ride by Westclox and look and cough and hope!
11:15-now that you brought up the subject of coughing, why did the city not notify the citizens of the toxic smoke coming from that building that next morning. I thought we had a code red alert system. My husband and son along with myself started with throat irritation and cough in the days following the fire and we do not live near Westclox and are in good health.
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