Environmental regulators say the Midlothian steel mill that caught fire Thursday morning has a solid safety record.
The fire started about 5:45 a.m. in some old tire wires that were being recycled at Gerdau Ameristeel’s plant on Ward Road near Highway 67. The smoke could be seen for miles.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ, said the plant complies with regulations "extremely well."
Midlothian's fire chief said the plant is safe.
"Gerdau is a great partner for the city,” chief Dale McCaskill said. “We've never had any issues with them in the past. And they have a really good safe track record."
An EPA spokeswoman in Dallas said the company’s hazardous waste permit was up-to-date and that the company has complied with regulations in the Clean Air Act.
An online search of another federal agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, turned up no complaints at the facility in recent years. OSHA investigates workplace accidents.
