Columbia County’s Emergency Management Office released the following statement after the close of business on Friday (making it very difficult to ask any follow-up questions, or obtain actual test data). The EOC’s release is reproduced in full below.
The statement appears to conflict in several respects with other publicly-available information, notably:
(1) that dioxin testing will not begin until Monday, and results may not be available for several weeks;
(2) that the U.S. EPA’s testing for PCBs is likewise ongoing and not completed; and
(3) that State and other officials have confirmed that they are not yet sure what was stored onsite, and in what quantities.
Meanwhile, the T-U is also reporting that State officials did not return phone calls all day Friday, and that “local emergency leaders in Columbia County are unsure what the testing protocols will be following this week’s chemical-fueled fire at a recycling plant.”
Columbia County Emergency Management Office officials announced today that initial air testing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicated acceptable levels of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter in the air subsequent to the industrial fire in Ghent, NY.
“Initial testing completed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on soot samples also did not reveal detectable levels of PCBs,” Bill Black, Director of Columbia County Emergency Management said. “State DEC is conducting additional, precautionary testing for PCBs in soot samples over the next couple of days.” Samples collected near the incident site, which is where the highest concentration of any hazardous materials would typically be found, were determined to have no detectable PCBs.
There is no reason to believe that there is any threat to the public as a result of the fire, which involved different types of waste oil.
Testing was completed and reviewed by State DEC, State Department of Health, Adirondack Laboratories and U.S. EPA.
There is no reason to believe that there is any threat to the public from any type of hazardous material as a result of the fire, which involved different types of petroleum.
Real-time sampling conducted yesterday at the TCI fire site by EPA and wipe sampling performed by the DEC shows no evidence of a public health concern. As a precaution, DEC will expand its wipe sampling to within a 15-mile radius of the TCI site.
The preliminary investigation shows no levels of hazardous materials of concern in both the ignited materials and samples taken near the incident site, which is where the highest concentration of any hazardous materials would typically be found.
In the unlikely event that future test results require any change to protocols and recommendations already in place regarding the cleanup of soot and ash, gardens, pets, and home drinking water wells, the public will be notified immediately.
County officials announced that the fire is out and investigations into its cause are continuing.
For more health related information contact the Columbia County Health Department at (518) 828-3358
If county residents have questions regarding individual costs associated with clean up of property they should contact TCI of NY directly. http://www.tci-pcb.com/
The Columbia County Emergency Operations Center is being deactivated at this time however calls to the EOC phone line will be answered by the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center. We ask if you have questions of a non-emergency nature that you contact the Emergency Management Office during normal business hours on Monday.
