The city’s formal written response to questions from the Environmental Concerns Committee (ECC) and the Kalamazoo Eastside Neighborhood Association (KENA) about the Kalamazoo Metal Recycling fire was read into the record at the City Environmental Concerns Committee meeting.
On water: the KMR site is fully impervious and designed so all runoff collects in a concrete-lined on-site pond with no discharge connection to the Kalamazoo River or city storm sewers. Inspections after the fire, including drone surveys, found no oil sheen on the river.
On air: the city is working to add air quality sensors at additional locations and establish 24/7 communication protocols between public safety and public services so that real-time air quality data can trigger media and resident notifications if needed during future incidents.
On health: the city has shared the ECC’s recommendations and KENA’s requests for health accountability and symptom tracking with the Kalamazoo County Health Department, which was scheduled to begin work on the matter.
The committee acknowledged the response but noted the fire is part of a broader pattern of industrial environmental incidents that warrants continued monitoring.
