LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is going to start removing dangerous chemicals and explosives from a home in Highview by the middle of this month.
The Highview Baptist Church hosted a second public meeting about the home on Applegate Lane Thursday evening. In the nearly 45-minute long meeting, the EPA said they'll be adding five crews, and the people in the neighborhood will be hearing loud noises in a couple of weeks.
The demolition should take less than a month. Neighbors we spoke with said bring on the wrecking ball and get it over with.
"I love that," Betty Mcurdy, who lives nearby, said. "In the beginning when they said they were going to burn it, that was a little scary."
In July, police said they found a hoarded supply of hazardous material in the Highview home of 53-year-old Marc Hibel, a former chemist.
APPLEGATE LANE | “We're set to mobilize Monday October 8, for site setup. We will not begin dismantling any of the building structures until at least October 16. We are currently planning for this to take about 10 days after that. So, we should be done by the 27th.” - @EPA pic.twitter.com/f9afgOioqr
— Molly Jett (@MolJett) October 5, 2023
After detonating explosives on site, the city originally said it would burn down the house. The EPA scratched that plan, instead opting to tear it down with an excavator.
"I thought 'oh my,'" Mcurdy said.
Prep work starts Oct. 8 with the dismantling set to begin Oct. 16.
"We ask the community to be patient because you know, there is going to be some, some inconvenience," Jody Meiman, with Louisville Metro Emergency Services and Emergency Management, said.
After detonating explosives on site, the city originally said it would burn down the house. The EPA scratched that plan, instead opting to tear it down with an excavator.
Rebecca Corder also lives nearby. She's said she's ready for them to start demolition.
"It's been interesting just from hearing about what's going on," Corder said.
Officials said crews will remain on site as a precaution, but they do not foresee people needing to leave their homes.
"Just have trust in the process and trust in local government, state government, federal government that you know, we're gonna do everything we can to keep everybody safe. You know, it's gonna, it could be a slow process, just have patience," Meiman said.
The EPA said some people living off Applegate Lane will be given an ID Friday to get to and from their home while crews are tearing it down.
"Any reactions in the material [will] happen on the Applegate site, where we can control it and we can quantify it, and make sure that it's done before we ship it off-site," Chuck Berry with the EPA's Emergency Response and Removal Branch.
While the city has a plan, whether it will be able to execute it remains up to a judge. Hibel's attorney is trying to block the destruction of the home in court, saying it will destroy materials that may be used in his defense.
Hibel is charged with burglary and wanton endangerment for the explosives in his house and squatting in the home next door.
"I'm very concerned. I can't believe a chemist would do that," Mcurdy said.
The EPA hopes to be finished by Oct. 27.
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