St. Clair Co. residents say smoke is still an issue as EPA continues working on landfill fire

ST. CLAIR CO., Ala. (WBRC) - As the Environmental Protection Agency continues working on the landfill fire in St. Clair County, several residents say smoke is still an issue.

READ MORE ON THE LANDFILL FIRE

Terry Stillman, an on-scene coordinator with the EPA says the landfill is still burning but things on site are looking better. They’re still on target to have it under control within that 3-to-4-week range but smoke could be an ongoing problem.

“When it’s a change in temperature which you’ll get at night and early morning. Sometimes the smoke will hover,” says Stillman.

Stillman says the landfill is still burning beneath the surface, but they have reduced the smoke by about 50%. He says they are continuing to take air samples and check the air monitors daily. They are beginning to notice air quality levels are consistently improving. Stillman says they will remain on site even after their four-week timeline to ensure the landfill is fully covered.

CONCERNS FROM LANDFILL FIRE OVER AIR QUALITY

“We’re still going to have work to finish to ensure that the sides of the landfill are secure,” says Stillman. We’ll probably still bring in additional cover material even after that to ensure there’s no reignition.”

Residents in St. Clair County are also planning to host a rally at the state’s capitol in Montgomery on February 16th. To find out more, click here.

To learn more about the EPA’s air monitoring, click here.

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