Trending...
- BumblebeeSmart Announces Partnership with Extreme Kids World to Expand Access to Sensory Wall Panels and Educational Busy Boards
- Director Sean McNamara Reunites with Award-Winning Cinematographer Shawn Seifert for Upcoming Feature Home
- Florida Law Advisers, P.A. Named Best Divorce Firm of 2026 by Expert Law Attorneys
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
- New Thriller 'Counterframe' Explores the Hidden Vulnerabilities of Modern Society
- Award-Winning Heritage at South Brunswick Continues to Thrive as One of New Jersey's Premier New Home Communities
- Four Seasons Cleaners Debuts Santa Barbara County's First 24/7 Dry Cleaning Kiosk New self-service
- WhereTu Launches to Help Americans Build Successful Lives Abroad
- BoatRegistrationNumbers.com Launches Next-Generation Marine Lettering, Decals and Numbers Tool
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
- Appliance EMT Expands Built-In and Walk-In Refrigerator Service in Metro Atlanta
- New from Regal House Publishing, Call it Madness: a missing grandfather - reclaiming a ruptured life
- LawProactive Launches SB 37-Compliant Attorney Marketing Software With Exclusive City Territories Across California
- Cogs and Marvel expands EMEA leadership team for next phase of growth
- Dave Freer's "Storm-Dragon" Wins First-Ever Prometheus Special Award For Young Adult Fiction
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
- Class is in session: Black Beauty Block Party returns to Los Angeles for fourth annual festival
- Heavy Duty Journal Surpasses 1000 Technical Articles for Diesel Technicians and Fleet Managers
- Kolbus Introduces the Next Step in Casemaking Efficiency
- Florida Law Advisers, P.A. Named Best Divorce Firm of 2026 by Expert Law Attorneys
- Sounds of LA County: 27 Parks.108 Concerts. One County
- Only One Flight Stands Between Los Angeles Youth Leaders and a Life-Saving Mission in South Africa
- BumblebeeSmart Announces Partnership with Extreme Kids World to Expand Access to Sensory Wall Panels and Educational Busy Boards
- Stigma Across Borders: Concerns Grow Over Discrimination Against Shincheonji Members Abroad
- World Cup Crowds Are a Stress Test for America's Restrooms
- Postmortem Pathology Expands Access to Private Autopsy Services in Las Vegas
- How Sacramento Families Are Using Private Autopsies to Protect Inheritances, Resolve Insurance Claims, and Find Closure
- Los Angeles' Best Food: Food Journal Magazine Examines the Trends Shaping the City's Dining Scene
- Landmark Construction Expands Glass, Glazing, and Commercial Remodeling Services Across Los Angeles County and Surrounding Areas
- ENTOUCH Named Top 100 Inspiring Workplaces in North America for Third Consecutive Year
- Pulse Wave is where moments become movements
- Michigan's Plane Crash Data Points Away from Big Airports
- 2iG Solutions Launches MGA Insight, Bringing AI-Powered Business Intelligence to Managing General Agents
- A Better Way to Find a Real Estate Agent Is Coming Soon
- Talentica Software Earns a Place Among India's Top 100 Great Mid-size Workplaces 2026
- Socialhose Launches TikTok Investigator, a Platform for Investigating TikTok Live