Commercial fire and haz mat incident in Park Ridge, 7-17-19 (more)

Here's what I've gathered from the Chicago Tribune:

On Thursday, the Park Ridge fire marshal issued a citation to a property owner for neglecting to inform the fire department about storing a significant quantity of hazardous materials before a major fire broke out. The incident occurred at the former Harvey’s Marathon gas station located at the intersection of Northwest Highway and Oakton Street. The owner didn’t put up warning signs or notify the fire department about the 45 tons of calcium peroxide being stored in and near the old gas station building. This oversight came with a $500 fine.

The calcium peroxide, which is intended to be used for cleaning soil contaminated by years of gas station operations, had been sitting there since the property became vacant around 2013. According to city records, Raza Holdings LLC owns the property. The fire department classified the calcium peroxide as a hazardous material that quickly escalated the fire and injured two firefighters with minor burns. It’s highly likely that the Park Ridge Fire Department and other responding agencies will seek compensation for damaged equipment and labor costs. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown.

Efforts to clean up the site continued throughout Friday, with oversight from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. A plastic-lined sand berm was set up on the property on Thursday, and cleanup efforts were expected to last through the weekend. Interestingly, the IEPA doesn’t regulate the storage of calcium peroxide, so any legal requirements would fall under local ordinances. None of the remaining calcium peroxide can now be used for the soil decontamination project originally planned for the site.