Fire at WIN Waste waste-to-energy facility causes bridge closure

A Dec. 16 fire at a WIN Waste Innovations waste-to-energy facility has led to the closure of a nearby bridge in Portsmouth, Virginia, reports WTKR.

A spokesperson for WIN Waste, which is based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, told the Virginia news outlet that operators detected smoke coming from a fire inside the conveyor belt enclosure. The damage to the structure caused the road at Elm Avenue and Victory Boulevard to close for safety.

Cars pass underneath the facility to get on and off the Jordan Bridge, which is why the plant and city closed the road as crews work to determine the structural condition of the plant's conveyor. Mary Urban, the spokesperson for WIN Waste, told WTKR it’s difficult to say when the bridge entrance will reopen, but the plant and the city will make that call.

In a statement, Urban says, “For the time being, we are continuing to provide steam to the Navy but are diverting waste from the plant. We are in contact with [the] SPSA (Southeastern Public Service Authority) and our commercial haulers as we work to assess the repairs needed and resume normal operations. We will prioritize our largest partner, SPSA, and hope to begin taking waste again as soon as possible.

“We have evaluated the structures alongside a third-party engineering expert and are mobilizing a team and making a plan to remove the damaged sections of the overhead conveyor enclosure which was the only area impacted. In an abundance of caution, the road remains closed, and we will work diligently to repair any damage and ensure safe passage to reopen the road as determined by the local agencies.”

Urban says the cause of the fire is unknown and they have a team investigating. There were no injuries to any firefighters or employees in the plant.