Cleanup at the site of the Queen City Barrel fire contiunues. (Enquirer photo/Michael E. Keating)

Before they can enter the warehouse to determine why the 400,000-square-foot building caught fire, tens of thousands of barrels - many containing hazardous chemicals - must be removed, and large sections of the building must be torn down to eliminate the threat of its collapsing while people are inside.

That work has been ongoing for more than three weeks.

The fire caused an estimated $5 million in damage. The eventual demolition and cleanup will cost millions more.

Steve Renninger, the on-scene coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said about 4,500 barrels have been removed. That's about 10 percent of the estimated 50,000 barrels inside the warehouse.

About 50 of those barrels had residue from some form of waste inside them. The EPA has classified the waste in three general categories: oil-based, flammable and acids.

More detailed testing has begun to determine exactly what residue is in each barrel. There is no indication at this point that any of the waste violates the company's permits.

The federal EPA is overseeing the barrel removal and testing.

The warehouse, known as the "Old Lawson Building," is a long, rectangular structure divided into three equal parts. The building is bordered by Evans and South streets in an industrial neighborhood just west of downtown Cincinnati.

Crews are only working on the center portion of the building at this stage.

"We're about three weeks from getting them (investigators) into the center section," Renninger said. "Then the drum crew will move to the eastern section."

EPA officials are negotiating with the company on a legal agreement that will outline terms of the eventual cleanup, which will begin once the investigation is complete. That agreement will outline dates by which the contractor must submit work and safety plans to the EPA, and other facets of the cleanup, such as air monitoring to protect workers and nearby residents.

A contractor hired by the company will perform the cleanup, under the EPA's supervision.

The legal agreement - called a consent decree - also will outline who pays for the cleanup. When asked if he felt confident the company - not taxpayers - would pay the cleanup bills, Renninger said, "Yes, they've acted in good faith to date."

Company Vice President Craig Feltner said Friday he believes Queen City Barrel will pay for the cleanup.

"It's been tough to get a normal bid or quote for this work because it's a unique demolition project," said Feltner, adding that he hopes the work is completed in six months. "But we can't just go in and start knocking down the building because of all the barrels."

Dan Rottmueller, the city's lead fire investigator, said he will need a week to 10 days to finish his job once inside. A contractor has been tearing down large portions of walls to stabilize the building, he said, but the demolition shouldn't hamper his investigation.

"I'm not worried about us losing evidence because we're watching what comes down every day," Rottmueller said. "And we are trying not to demolish in areas of interest."

A backhoe is used to scoop the barrels out of the warehouse. Crews inspecting the barrels wear protective clothing, gloves and eyewear and open each individually. They swipe the inside of the barrel with a glass tube.

"Each drum is inspected individually, and if there are any contents at all, they're separated," Renninger said. "The empty barrels are taken off-site as scrap. We haven't had any surprises to date."

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