The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has started physically hauling hazardous materials out of the shuttered EMCO Chemical facility on Lawton Street in Detroit, with crews rolling in late January and planning to keep at it through the spring and into summer. The operation follows months of worry after a 2024 fire and subsequent inspections revealed hundreds of containers inside the building. Neighbors in the Core City area have been watching as crews set up containment, sort drums and stage waste for transport.
What crews are removing
According to the U.S. EPA, inspectors documented more than 1,000 55-gallon drums, numerous laboratory samples, several large above-ground storage tanks and an underground holding tank at the property. Testing identified flammable, corrosive and chlorinated materials among the containers, which led the agency to bring in hazardous waste specialists to sort, characterize and remove the wastes for proper disposal. The EPA said crews will secure the site, conduct air monitoring while work is underway and transport emptied containers to approved facilities.
How the site reached that point
The former EMCO plant at 4470 Lawton St. shut down in August 2023 and was later vandalized. On May 28, 2024, a car was set on fire, and the flames spread to an annex where drums were stored, though Detroit firefighters put out the blaze before the drums ignited. Photos and captions from the ongoing cleanup and removal effort appear in a photo gallery by The Detroit News, showing crews loading drums and securing the property. City and state environmental teams inspected the property in 2024 and requested federal assistance after initial tests raised safety concerns.
Regulatory status and responsibility
Federal records list the property as the EMCO removal site and classify the action as a “Removal Only” response rather than a full Superfund National Priorities List cleanup, according to EPA's Superfund database. The EPA says it initially worked with EMCO to stabilize the fire-damaged structure and remove some wastes, but after EMCO told the agency it did not have the finances to finish the work, the EPA assumed the lead for the broader removal. That shift gives federal crews authority to address immediate risks and hire the specialized handling the site requires.
What residents can expect next
Officials say the removal will prioritize the most hazardous containers first, then move on to complete characterization and disposal of the remaining materials while continuing air monitoring to protect workers and nearby residents. The cleanup is expected to be complete by summer, and EPA staff have pledged to restore the facility to pre-removal conditions once the materials are gone. Residents looking for updates can check the EPA's public project pages and follow local media coverage for schedules, monitoring results and community contact information.
