GORHAM, N.Y. – “There is so much stuff in there and it’s alcohol and it burns. It’s not probably explosive, but it will burn and if it catches on fire there is basically no way to put it out other than starving it from oxygen. There is enough quantity in that building that once it starts to go, it’s going to go.”
That foretelling statement was made by Gorham Planning Board Chairman Thomas Harvey at a June meeting, just months before a massive fire destroyed a 57,000 square foot warehouse Saturday night. The Eco Operations warehouse was filled with an estimated 1000 pallets of expired hand sanitizer and other items to be de-packaged and recycled.
News10NBC has obtained violation letters, cease and desist orders, emails and even a lawsuit through the Freedom of Information Law that point to the concerns state and local officials had about the business, which never received a permit or site plan approval from the town.
The State DEC first became aware of the site back in December and issued two letters of violation and a cease and desist order. According to planning board minutes, inspectors raised concerns about the incredible amount of inventory stacked to the ceilings of the warehouse.
In the months that followed, the town issued its own violation notice for zoning and fire codes, ordering Eco Operations to stop using the property and remove all the hand sanitizer. It also pushed the DEC to speed up efforts to declare the sanitizer hazardous waste.
The business is owned by Eduard Zaydman. In emails and meetings with the town, he said he was committed to getting the product under control. At a May planning board meeting via Zoom, Zaydman assured members his operation was not a safety threat.
“There is no danger. It is not really flammable because it’s 30% water. It is very difficult to light that up,” Zaydman told the board.
News10NBC tried to contact Zaydman by phone and email but he hasn’t responded to the messages.
Just a month and a half before the fire, the town of Gorham filed a lawsuit against Eco seeking an injunction to shut down the operations and force them to remove all hazardous materials. Assemblyman Jeff Gallahan is also calling for an investigation by the State Attorney General’s office.
“And changes in the law. Let’s give the tools to the EPA and DEC that they need to protect the health and welfare of our residents in our communities,” said Gallahan.
As of Wednesday, investigators have not determined the cause of the fire. Charred remnants lay scattered across the site as EPA investigators work to determine the environmental impact.
Local, state and federal authorities are having a news conference Thursday afternoon to brief the latest developments on the fire and clean-up. News10NBC will have a crew there and provide any updates.
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