Structural engineer to determine future of Milwaukee recycling facility following fire
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- We're learning more about the aftermath of a huge recycling plant fire.
The plant serves people in Milwaukee and Waukesha.
The Menomonee Valley facility went up in flames May 31.
Wednesday, city officials say a structural engineer worked on determining if the structure at Milwaukee Recycles can be saved.
Officials with the Department of Public Works say until they know more, they can't say how long it'll take for things to get back to normal.
"We have significant damage, we don't know how long we're going to be down, we've already contacted the city attorney's office, we are insured for the actual equipment inside of the building itself, and we'll know the actual extent of the building's integrity after hopefully by today or tomorrow," said Milwaukee DPW Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke.
Kruschke says they still haven't determined what caused the fire that left a massive plume of smoke hanging over the city last Wednesday.
"We don't know the exact cause, but a majority of those fires do occur from lithium batteries deposited into recycling bins, and this is common across the country, unfortunately," said Kruschke.
Right now, he says alternatives have been put in place, so people should continue to recycle like they normally do.
Kruschke is requesting people avoid putting batteries and propane tanks in recycling bins.
"Anything you put into the recycling bin, it's a very dangerous thing that we have to deal with in the processing system," said Kruschke.
Kruschke says right now they're transferring recycling from Milwaukee out to Madison, but he says capacity of recycling facilities is limited in the region, so they may look to Chicago as well.
Looking to the future, a new facility could cost anywhere from $15-20 million, a cost partially shared with Waukesha.
He says it's hard to tell when such a facility will be ready, or where it'll go.
"The goal is to get up as fast as we can -- a new location, or an existing location, preferably outside of the valley, but until we have some more data, that's where we're sitting at this point," said Kruschke.
DPW officials say the most viable alternative, a facility in Germantown, is completely shut down as they are working on a $30 million rebuild.
They say that won't be complete until December or January.