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Massachusetts REFUSETECH Praises North Andover Fire Response

North Andover, Mass.-August 23, 2000-Officials from Massachusetts REFUSETECH, Inc. (MRI) have cited the rapid cooperation and hard work of the North Andover Fire Department in the successful handling of a three-alarm fire at the company's waste-to-energy facility yesterday. The fire was first noticed in the plant's storage pit Tuesday morning and was under control within hours. Responding with the assistance of several area communities, North Andover firefighters remained on the scene until 7 am this morning as a precaution.

MRI officials continue to assess any damage and investigate the cause of the fire, believed to be the result of a "hot load" delivered in a refuse truck. The facility's two combustion units and single turbine generator remain offline. Management is diverting municipal waste deliveries, which reach up to 1,500 tons per day, to alternate disposal facilities for the rest of the week. Today, plant workers are systematically removing trash from the storage pit to ensure that any remnants of the fire are completely extinguished.

Scott Emerson, MRI's Plant Manager, commended the cooperation of local waste haulers, alternate disposal facilities, and the area's communities in helping the company rapidly address immediate waste disposal needs. "They have been very helpful," he said. "Everyone pitched in to help us continue to protect public safety and public health in the area." Emerson expressed strong praise for the town's Fire Department. "The North Andover Fire Department was outstanding in quickly coordinating a response and executing an efficient solution to this fire," he said. "North Andover's firefighters are a tribute to this community."

*** For more details, contact:
Scott Emerson, Plant Manager
Wheelabrator North Andover
978-688-9011

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