ELKHART — An Elkhart recycling firm says it's trying to ease concerns about safety and environmental issues at its plant.

A fire at VIM Recycling killed one worker and injured another last month. The fire burned for three days.

Since then, neighbors raised concerns about safety, noise and pollution.

A meeting was held Thursday to get those concerns addressed by local government. The concerns were addressed at a regular meeting of the county's solid waste management board.

State and local officials were on hand, along with neighbors who live by the VIM Recycling plant.

“We need to know what's going to happen now, from now on," said Jerry Kindig, a member of the Solid Waste Board. "Has this thing been solved, is the fire threat now gone?”

At the meeting the company says it is taking steps to deal with noise, odors and dust … and preventing future fires.

“Whether that is the installation of semi improved roads and fire breaks within our berm system, whatever we can do to try to limit the possibility of a fire expanding off the property and endangering the community," explained Tom Holt, VIM spokesperson.

"They've got to find a way to be able to produce their product, so it doesn't create a problem for neighbors," Elkhart Mayor Dave Miller told WSBT News.

“At some point somebody has got to have the authority to come in, take charge of this, and make sure something gets done," said Jerry Hart, who lives by the plant.

"If he doesn't abide by the rules, then he needs to be ran out," said James Trosper, another plant neighbor.

Some concerned neighbors at the meeting said they felt that if anything could get done to resolve the matter, that they would have to become part of the solution.

"It can't just be, you know, standing on the sidelines, yelling, 'Do something,'" said John Klawiter, a concerned neighbor. "We all have to get involved and work with the company and work with the county, to come up with an answer."