Final Update
Today, March 25, the Moraine Fire Division confirmed the
fire is out and EPA has left the site. Air EPA air monitoring results overnight
and this morning have been posted to our website. These results show no harmful
levels of particulate or volatile organic compounds.
Air sample results will be posted to website once they have
been analyzed by a lab and a quality check is final.
Questions about the fire or next steps at this site
should be referred to local officials.
Wednesday,
March 25 Update
As
of 11 a.m. on March 25, EPA was notified by the Moraine Fire Division that the
fire was out overnight and remains out at the facility. EPA continued to
monitor the air overnight and did not show any harmful levels of particulate or
volatile organic compounds. EPA will share those results as soon as they are
available.
On
Tuesday, March 24, between 3 a.m. and 1 p.m., EPA air monitoring detected some
particulates in the air surrounding the fire site. The levels are common and
not necessarily related to the site, it could be regional background (for
example, the same levels could be seen in Chicago at the same time). However,
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, part of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, provided additional health information
used when we see “moderate” levels of particulate in the air.
Who
needs to be concerned?
- Some people who may be unusually sensitive to particle
pollution.
- Unusually sensitive people: Consider making outdoor
activities shorter and less intense. Watch for symptoms such as coughing
or shortness of breath. These are signs to take it easier.
- Everyone else: It’s a good day to be active outside
Source: Air
quality Guide for Particle Pollution, August 2015, EPA-456/F-15-005
The
Moraine Fire Division remains the lead agency for this response.
Tuesday, March 24 Update
After
receiving a request from Moraine Fire Division to provide air monitoring at the
Fuyao Glass America facility fire, EPA arrived around 5 p.m. on March 23, and
immediately established roving and stationary air monitoring locations around
the fire site. EPA is monitoring for particulates and volatile organic
compounds. The stationary monitoring samples were collected this morning and
taken to a lab for analysis. Currently, air monitoring results around the fire
site show particulates and VOCs within acceptable levels.
EPA
will continue air monitoring throughout the day in support of Moraine Fire
Division, the lead agency in this response.
Based
on the limited information available so far, air monitoring results do not
appear to show a concern to human health. Updates will be posted to this page,
including air monitoring results for VOCs and particulates. The air monitoring
data show a quick snapshot of monitoring results. Air samples were also taken
overnight and will be analyzed by a lab and posted once the data has been
quality checked and is final.
