State environmental officials are ending direct supervision of cleanup at the site of a 2022 fire that destroyed a Winston-Salem fertilizer plant, prompted a voluntary evacuation impacting thousands of nearby residents and led to a class-action lawsuit now subject to a proposed $8 million settlement.

Under an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Winston Weaver Co. now has three years to fully assess the presence of chemicals and metals, and five years to finalize a plan for adequately removing contaminants from groundwater on and near the 8-acre property by 2033.

The milestone also establishes a potential timeline for redevelopment of the now-cleared site at 4440 N. Cherry St.

“Future use of the property can often begin once the assessment is complete a

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