[ad_1]
(CNN) After firefighters battled plastic-fueled hell in eastern Indiana for two days, the fire could be 99% extinguished by Thursday evening or Friday morning, officials said.
But a fire at a Richmond recycling plant has reignited previous frustrations over safety issues at the facility and sparked new fears among residents about their health future.
About 2,000 people living within a half-mile radius of the power plant are still under evacuation orders on Thursday, two days after the fires began. Also, Richmond public schools are closed for his second day in a row.
“If you are downwind in this area, please stay indoors, close your windows and turn off your air conditioner,” Richmond city officials warned.
As of Thursday afternoon, the fire was 90 percent contained, Richmond Fire Chief Tim Brown said at a news conference.
Firefighters are now going through “hot zones” inside the building and using foam to put out the fire, Brown added.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had detected no toxic compounds as of Wednesday morning and is expected to release updated results on Thursday. ‘ has already said.
Wayne County Emergency Management said there was little wind Thursday morning, so “residents may notice smoke from the fires settling in and around the city and areas that were previously unproblematic. uh,” he said.
EPA monitors air quality at 15 locations around the site for possible toxic chemicals from incinerated plastic.
The plumes of black smoke stirred up memories of a recent toxic train crash in East Palestine, Ohio. High levels of some chemicals from that disaster could pose long-term risks, researchers say.
As black smoke spreads, so do health concerns
Corey McConnell’s family fled their home in the evacuation zone on Tuesday night. He could already smell the smoke and saw exhausted firefighters fighting the flames.
Fire officials said the fire burned in the semi-trailer before it spread to the facility.
“It’s really unbelievable,” McConnell told CNN.
Resident Wendy Snyder took refuge in a Red Cross emergency shelter, but briefly returned home to pick up some belongings, she told CNN affiliate WHIO. I noticed the stench of burning.
“When we go outside on our porch, there’s a bad smell in the air,” Snyder said.
Christine Stinson, executive director of the Wayne County Health Department, said the main health concern for residents is particulate matter (fine particles in smoke), which can cause respiratory problems when inhaled. There is
N95 masks can protect you from particles, but if you see or smell smoke or experience symptoms, you should leave the area, Stinson said.
Due to the age of the building, asbestos (a naturally occurring but highly toxic substance that was once widely used as insulation) may also be a concern. The EPA said Wednesday night it is evaluating areas, including school grounds, for fire debris that may contain asbestos.
And an EPA air quality test showed no signs of toxic chemicals, including styrene and benzene, as of Wednesday morning, but testing continues as more smoke settles.
Chemicals like this can increase cancer risk if someone is exposed to high concentrations for a long period of time, said Richard Pelletier, associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. .
“We know that it is very common for various chemicals to be formed whenever plastic materials are burned, such as styrene, benzene, and numerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. are all potent carcinogens and it’s important to avoid exposure,” Pelletier said.
Even short-term exposure can cause symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, cough, headache and fatigue. “Asthma is regularly triggered by complex exposures like this, so it’s very important to be extra careful if you have asthma,” Pelletier said.
It’s not clear when evacuated residents will be able to return home, according to Richmond officials. Fire officials expect the smoldering site to burn for several days.
City officials hold power plant owner responsible for fire
It’s not yet clear what sparked recycling plant hell, but since at least 2019, local leaders say they’ve shared concerns that the facility is riddled with fire hazards and building code violations. The record shows
“We knew it wasn’t a matter of if this would happen, it was a matter of when,” the fire chief said.
In 2019, the City’s Unsafe Buildings Commission said, according to meeting minutes obtained by CNN, that the “cumulative impact of existing code violations” resulted in “facility being unsafe, substandard, or public health.” and safety hazards.”
At a commission hearing, the plant’s owner, Seth Smith, admitted that one of the buildings on the site did not have a fire suppression system, records show. CNN reached out to Smith, but the attorney who represented him in a related lawsuit declined to comment.
“We were aware of the fire hazard that was running here,” Richmond officials said Wednesday, accusing the plant owner of ignoring city orders to clean the facility. bottom.
The fire started in a plastic-laden semi-trailer, spread through the surrounding recyclable pile, and eventually reached a building. The building was “completely burned down from floor to ceiling and wall to wall,” Fire Chief Brown said. When firefighters arrived, he said it was difficult to reach the building because the access road was blocked with piles of plastic.
“Everything that happened here — the fire, the damage, the risk taken by first responders, the risk taken by these citizens — is the responsibility of that negligent business owner,” Snow said.
After Smith was ordered by the city’s building commission to repair or demolish and evict his property in 2019, the plant owner and his company petitioned the court to reconsider the order. bottom.
An Indiana Circuit Court judge ruled in favor of the city in March 2020. The court ruled that some of Smith’s assets “constituted a fire hazard, a public health hazard, a nuisance, and a danger to persons and property for violations.” . Statutes and city ordinances regarding building condition and maintenance. ”
Firefighters try to put out an industrial fire in Richmond, Indiana, on Wednesday.
Last year, the city seized two of the three parcels of land that housed the recycling plant after Smith failed to pay property taxes.
What steps has the city taken to rehabilitate the site since the foreclosure and what steps have been taken before 2022 to enforce an order requiring Smith to repair or demolish and evict the facility It is unknown whether
The mayor said Smith was contacted by investigators on Tuesday night.
Firefighters try to extinguish the flames, but face another challenge. It’s about not destroying evidence that might help determine the cause, Brown said.
Officials probably won’t be able to determine the cause of the fire until the fire is extinguished and investigators can safely enter the factory, the state fire department said.
CNN’s Michelle Watson, Omar Jimenez, Brenda Goodman, Bonney Kapp, Sara Smart, Tina Burnside, and Celina Tebor contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link
