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Marshall Miller, general manager of the Three Rivers’ Lynchburg facility, attended Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning meeting to report on the progress made to date in cleanup after the Sept. 9 tank failure.

The damaged tanks have been removed, leaving the two undamaged tanks in place. The concrete pads remaining will be demolished as well. Over forty pieces of materials, including pieces of the tanks, bands, nuts, bolts, and other pieces have been sent to a lab in Atlanta for analysis. It  is hoped that their report will answer the question of exactly what caused the tank failure. That report is due to Three Rivers Dec. 9.

The company is reviewing their options for subcontractors and have already made some changes. They are also reviewing options for containment should there ever be another tank failure, and are developing an emergency response plan. Three Rivers has already had talks with the fire department and will also coordinate with law enforcement and local officials. Miller told the board that the company is open to suggestions while planning the rebuild of the facility, especially concerning safety and containment issues. Three Rivers is now negotiating purchase of some adjacent property to their plant for more space, which will give them more flexibility to rebuild.

Three Rivers plans to have new tanks up in March, and the ability to run at one third capacity by June or July, then up to full capacity by September of 2025.