Published: Tuesday 27th September 2016 | 1.31pm
Cannock Chase District Council, Staffordshire County Council and Public Health England have reassured local people about the very low risks to public health after conducting air tests at the Slitting Mill fire site.
Independent tests at Oak Tree Farm have revealed little to no trace of asbestos in the smoke, meaning people’s health is not at risk.
Staffordshire County Council and Cannock Chase District Council jointly commissioned the air testing after local people raised concerns about asbestos cement found at the site.
A total of 11 independent air tests have been taken, both before and after the fire was capped with soil. These tests revealed that the level of asbestos fibres in the smoke is so low, they cannot be detected by the machinery.
County Councillor Gill Heath, Cabinet Member for Communities and the Environment said: “It was very clear at the public meeting over a week ago that people were worried about the presence of asbestos on the site. The health of local people is our absolute priority, and although we suspected the presence of asbestos in the smoke to be extremely low, we wanted to make sure people were reassured.
“The results mean the risk of local people breathing in fibres is incredibly low, meaning they should not see any adverse effects. We will continue testing as the site is capped to ensure this remains the case.”
Cannock Chase District Council has also been conducting its own air quality monitoring around the site to assess the potential health impact of the smoke.
The air quality monitoring is being assessed in accordance with the national Air Quality Index standards. The Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) tells you about levels of air pollution and provides recommended actions and health advice. The index is numbered 1-10 and divided into four bands - low (1-3), moderate (4-6), high (7-9) and very high (10).
Current monitoring results in areas most affected by the fire indicate that levels are low – with Slitting Mill measuring 2 and Pear Tree measuring 3.
Councillor George Adamson, Leader of Cannock Chase Council, said: “These air quality results are extremely positive and should reassure the public that the risk to health is low. Residents living in the most affected areas are advised to continue with their normal outdoor activities.
“Air quality levels are being tested daily and details of these results will be uploaded to the Council’s website”.
Daily air monitoring results can be found on Cannock Chase Council’s website www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/slittingmill. Requests for hard copies can be made by calling 01543 462621.