Trending...
- Sexually Abused in a Psychiatric Hospital or Psychiatrist's or Psychologist's Office? CCHR Urges Survivors to Reach Out to It
- Healthcare Leaders Publish New Integrated Behavioral Healthcare Guide, Led by Doctors of Behavioral Health
- Leicester UK Manufacturer Tabletop Tyrant Secures Flawless 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating Across 5,800+ Orders
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League released a report which shows that hazardous air quality during the Weaver Fertilizer Plant fire was downplayed.
The report Winston-Salem Weaver Fertilizer Plant Fire - Analysis of Publicly Disseminated Air Quality Information During Facility Fire Incident highlights instances when local officials told the public that the air quality was okay and pollutants were just "irritants" when, in fact, levels of Particulate Matter 2.5 were in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's hazardous and very unhealthy categories.
It has been six months since the Weaver fertilizer plant fire which began on the evening of January 31. BREDL has recently received EPA air quality data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) which show that hazardous air quality conditions were downplayed during this industrial incident. We are still waiting for information from a March 22, 2022 open records request with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
More on ncarol.com
The report compares official statements to the then current air quality data, specifically PM 2.5. This air quality data was available to the fire command center in real time but was not available to the general public.
Once EPA set up temporary air monitors around the perimeter of the fire, 29 hours into the incident, the PM 2.5 readings were well into the hazardous category. These air monitors became operational around midnight on Wednesday, February 2.
Five hours later during a press conference officials stated that "all levels have been in the acceptable range". While, in fact, PM 2.5 concentrations were as high as 9200 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) at the temporary air monitor located at the Wake Forest University police station. EPA community action hazardous conditions start at a concentration of 500 ug/m3.
Mark Barker, author of the BREDL Report, said, "On the afternoon of February 2 a Wake Forest University alert stated that the EPA indicated air quality readings on and near campus posed no threat to individual health and was safe to breathe. However, the on campus EPA air quality data indicated hazardous and very unhealthy PM 2.5 levels."
More on ncarol.com
PM 2.5 has long been associated with significant health effects especially impacting respiratory and heart conditions.
The community within a one-mile radius of the Weaver facility has a high prevalence of asthma and heart disease according to EPA's EJScreen tool.
Barker said, "Our analysis leads us to make several recommendations for local, state and federal officials during industrial incidents: be transparent in reporting air quality and associated health impacts, make air quality data available to the public, include an air quality expert in incident press briefings and statements, utilize EJScreen to identify vulnerable communities, and incorporate temporary air monitors into existing EPA current air quality maps."
The BREDL report is available online at www.bredl.org/reports.htm.
Contact: Mark Barker
(540) 342-5580 (landline)
(540) 525-5241 (mobile)
[email protected]
SOURCE Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Inc
The report Winston-Salem Weaver Fertilizer Plant Fire - Analysis of Publicly Disseminated Air Quality Information During Facility Fire Incident highlights instances when local officials told the public that the air quality was okay and pollutants were just "irritants" when, in fact, levels of Particulate Matter 2.5 were in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's hazardous and very unhealthy categories.
It has been six months since the Weaver fertilizer plant fire which began on the evening of January 31. BREDL has recently received EPA air quality data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) which show that hazardous air quality conditions were downplayed during this industrial incident. We are still waiting for information from a March 22, 2022 open records request with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
More on ncarol.com
- IGH Naturals Announces Peer-Reviewed HuMOLYTE® Study Published in Frontiers in Nutrition
- Allstream Energy Partners Expands AI-Optimized Website Development Division to Meet Growing Demand in GEO / AEO Services
- America's Workforce Solution Named an OpenAI SMB Channel Partner, Bringing Enterprise-Grade AI to Main Street
- Data Tiles Introduces the Decision-Driven Enterprise to North America
- FitTrace Sync 1.11 Brings Apple Health and Google Health Connect Integration Into Its Mobile App
The report compares official statements to the then current air quality data, specifically PM 2.5. This air quality data was available to the fire command center in real time but was not available to the general public.
Once EPA set up temporary air monitors around the perimeter of the fire, 29 hours into the incident, the PM 2.5 readings were well into the hazardous category. These air monitors became operational around midnight on Wednesday, February 2.
Five hours later during a press conference officials stated that "all levels have been in the acceptable range". While, in fact, PM 2.5 concentrations were as high as 9200 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) at the temporary air monitor located at the Wake Forest University police station. EPA community action hazardous conditions start at a concentration of 500 ug/m3.
Mark Barker, author of the BREDL Report, said, "On the afternoon of February 2 a Wake Forest University alert stated that the EPA indicated air quality readings on and near campus posed no threat to individual health and was safe to breathe. However, the on campus EPA air quality data indicated hazardous and very unhealthy PM 2.5 levels."
More on ncarol.com
- Disruptor Creations Pioneers New MicroAdventure Series with TravelSpike
- eCopier Solutions Surpasses 3,000 Five-Star Google Reviews and Maintains Perfect Five-Star Rating
- Creative Investment Research Welcomes Supreme Court Decision Protecting Federal Reserve Independence While Calling for Continued Accountability
- New from Regal House Publishing, The Reel Life of Zara Kegg: Love, grief, Godzilla, odd beach winter
- Ascent Solar Technologies (N A S D A Q: ASTI): Positioned at the Intersection of the New Space Economy, Defense Innovation and Next-Generation Energy
PM 2.5 has long been associated with significant health effects especially impacting respiratory and heart conditions.
The community within a one-mile radius of the Weaver facility has a high prevalence of asthma and heart disease according to EPA's EJScreen tool.
Barker said, "Our analysis leads us to make several recommendations for local, state and federal officials during industrial incidents: be transparent in reporting air quality and associated health impacts, make air quality data available to the public, include an air quality expert in incident press briefings and statements, utilize EJScreen to identify vulnerable communities, and incorporate temporary air monitors into existing EPA current air quality maps."
The BREDL report is available online at www.bredl.org/reports.htm.
Contact: Mark Barker
(540) 342-5580 (landline)
(540) 525-5241 (mobile)
[email protected]
SOURCE Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Inc
Filed Under: Business
0 Comments
Latest on ncarol.com
- Boston Industrial Solutions Introduces High-Performance Primer for Bonding Liquid Silicone to Epoxy
- New Comprehensive Guide Unveils the Ultimate Masterlist of Government-Approved Business Funding
- Healthcare Leaders Publish New Integrated Behavioral Healthcare Guide, Led by Doctors of Behavioral Health
- Marketing Company Helps Local Businesses Stop Renting Leads and Start Building A Permanent System
- Verbica Challenges Panetta to a Televised Debate on the Issues
- Salt Lake City Families Turn to Private Autopsy Services for Faster Answers After Unexpected Loss
- K2 Integrity's U.S. and EMEA Teams Again Recognized in Chambers and Partners 2026 Guides
- Connecta Satellite Solutions Ready to Support Emergency Communications Following the Venezuela Earthquake
- Rare 1933 Harold Weston painting will be auctioned to benefit the Keene Valley Library
- $20 Million Revenue Target, Accelerating Growth, 7% Of Outstanding Shares Retired, Clear Path Toward Profitability: VSee Health, Inc N A S D A Q: VSEE
- HomeCentris Home Health Achieves 5-Star CMS Rating
- Adsoptia Launches AI-Powered Optimization Platform for a New Era of Autonomous Marketing Decisions
- Heritage at Manalapan Announces New Incentive: Included Finished Basement on Select Homesites
- Leicester UK Manufacturer Tabletop Tyrant Secures Flawless 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating Across 5,800+ Orders
- The Calida Group Announces Promotion of Joshua Nelson to President, Advancing Next Phase of National Growth
- Cango Mobility x Hikvision Announce Strategic Partnership
- HomeCentris Healthcare Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire S&K Holdings, Expanding Mid Atlantic Platform
- Nayarit Strengthens Its Position as a Global Surf Destination; Sayulita to Become Mexico's First Official Surf City
- Custom Cushions and Sewing Solutions Available in Cleveland County and Surrounding Areas
- Century Fasteners de Mexico Exhibiting at 2026 Farnborough International Airshow