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Report raises questions about air quality during Winston Weaver chemical fire

A fire broke out at the Winston Weaver fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on January 31, 2022. The incident lasted for days and resulted in the evacuation of more than 6,000 people. Screenshot courtesy of the City of Winston-Salem.

A new report analyzing raw air quality data in areas around the Winston Weaver fertilizer plant fire is raising questions. Researchers are making several recommendations to environmental officials.

The study from the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League claims air quality issues were downplayed by officials during the chemical fire — even when air quality conditions were unhealthy or hazardous.

The biggest concern is PM 2.5 or fine particulate, which can lodge deeply into the lungs.

An online tool from the Environmental Protection Agency shows the area within a one-mile radius is considered an environmental justice community with a high percentage of minority and low-income residents. Mark Barker with the organization says it's an area with many risk factors.

"Bad air quality affects everyone, but if you have already got high asthma and heart disease rates then that's an extra precaution that needs to be taken,” says Barker.

The report lays out several recommendations for local, state and federal officials to consider and enact during industrial incidents. Those include more transparency in reporting air quality and associated health impacts, having environmental experts speak at all press briefings, and finding ways to release data more quickly to the public.

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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