EPA Provides Updates on the Landfill on Fire in Alabama

Based on air quality readings taken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, conditions are improving at the Environmental Landfill in St. Clair County, Alabama. There has been a fire burning at the site since November. The fire was declared a state of emergency in early January, and the EPA stepped in to take over management of the disaster on Jan. 18.

According to the EPA, there is still a lot of work to be done. Here are some of the latest updates on the situation:

• Air samples initially taken at the site demonstrated unsafe levels of natural and synthetic chemicals.

• Air monitors have been installed by the EPA at four locations to measure improvements.

• “The amount of particulate matter in the air near the site has been decreasing since the agency took over,” according to AL.com.

• The EPA has started to use heavy construction equipment to grade the site and to bury the embers with large amounts of dirt. 

• Thousands of gallons of water have also been used to control the smoke entering the atmosphere from the landfill.

The site is designated as a landfill for green waste—vegetation, fallen trees, etc. But there are reports of tires, electronics, construction waste, and car parts being disposed of at the site. The landfill was also frequently left unattended.

Some estimates say that it could take a total of 30 days to put out the fire. The EPA is also estimating (as of last week) that the cost to put out the fire will be $2.8 million, compared to earlier projections of roughly $2 million.