Rush County Area Plan Commission Director Bill Todd informed the county commissioners Monday that the clean-up process at the former Manilla Grain Elevator site is nearing completion.

The effort took longer than expected and required the efforts of three crews and the services of Davis Towing to raze the grain elevator and a number of outlying buildings.

“In conversations that I have had with residents near the property they are very pleased with it. They are glad the property is clean,” Todd said.

During a June county commissioner meeting it was decided to allow a business or individuals access to the site of a former grain elevator business in Manilla to clean it up and remove the buildings.

It was further decided by the county leaders that those who undertook the process would receive any and all of the salvage fees for scrap metal recovered as payment for the clean-up.

It was initially believed that the clean-up would take roughly two weeks. However, that was not the case. The initial crew of six workers from Morristown in nearby Shelby County worked for three weeks before abandoning the project.

A second crew did not do much better and a third group of individuals completed the project.

According to Todd, all that remained Monday was a section of the grain elevator; weather permitting it is anticipated that the project would be completed Monday afternoon or Tuesday at the latest.

The next order of business involves cleaning private property that is adjacent to the former grain elevator site. It is anticipated that property will also be addressed by the county leaders in the coming months.

Frank Denzler can be contacted at (765) 932-2222 ext. 106 or via e-mail at frank.denzler@rushvillerepublican.com. To add a comment to this story visit our Web site at www.rushvillerepublican.com.