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Yadkin Riverkeeper looks at water quality data after fertilizer plant fire

WFDD file photo of the Yadkin River. KERI BROWN/WFDD.

Environmental groups and state officials are still assessing water quality data collected after a fire broke out at the Winston Weaver fertilizer plant January 31. The Yadkin Riverkeeper says early results of chemicals found raise a lot of questions.

It's unclear how much of the chemicals ended up in area waters.

But state data from February 2 does show elevated levels of ammonium nitrogen, nitrates and phosphorus in local creeks around the plant and the Yadkin River.

In Winston-Salem, a warning was issued to stay out of Muddy, Mill and Monarcas creeks downstream from the Winston Weaver fertilizer plant; that was canceled Thursday.

Davidson Water, which serves thousands of rural residents in Davidson County, cut off its drinking water intake pumps when they learned about the fire — but pumping resumed soon after.

Yadkin Riverkeeper Edgar Miller says he doesn't believe drinking water was negatively impacted from the event but says it's too early for an overall assessment.

“We only have data for just one day," he says. "And to really determine the long-term impact they will need to see how the chemicals were either diluted or their concentration increased over time, but we won't really know until we see the data from the state."

The Yadkin Riverkeeper is also reviewing sampling results from the Environmental Protection Agency taken during the first week in February, which found high levels of some contaminants in waterways near the plant.

Miller says there are concerns that all of this could end up in High Rock Lake, which is already dealing with a large amount of nutrient pollution and potentially toxic algae blooms.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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