Followup: Puget Sound Clean Air reviewing Ash Grove complaints

(Saturday night Twitpic by @davidgjames)
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency tells WSB the agency received two complaints over the holiday weekend about the Saturday night emission from Ash Grove Cement that drew attention from West Seattle, and elsewhere (WSB coverage here), as well as an initial “fire in building” response from the Seattle Fire Department. PSCAA spokesperson Amy Warren says the complaints will be reviewed before the agency decides what, if any, action to take. Meantime, Ash Grove has issued a statement saying “finished cement was discharged” from the plant, “as a result of the affected silo being overfilled,” though the amount of “finished cement” was not mentioned. The statement sent by corporate PR rep Jackie Clark also says Ash Grove has “contacted affected neighbors to offer cleanup assistance.”

cjboffoli July 6, 2010 (9:32 pm)

Oh!!!!! That was what was all over my car! I thought it was some kind of fireworks/gunpowder residue.

miws July 6, 2010 (10:28 pm)

Christopher, didn’t you have some mysterious dust on your car sometime back, like maybe last year?

I don’t remember if there was a definite determination of what it was, or where it came from, but maybe it was Ash Grove that time as well.

Mike

I. Nertia July 6, 2010 (10:34 pm)

I watched that film clip. Not sure what it shows.

WSB July 6, 2010 (10:49 pm)

Hmm. Playing back murkily tonight. If you look at the left side of the silo in the center of the video, that’s where the overflow can be seen, but on the laptop here it did just look a lot blurrier then before. Will sub out for something else.

cjboffoli July 6, 2010 (11:10 pm)

Mike: Did I? I don’t remember. In this case I went out yesterday and my car was covered with light gray dried raindrops. We unfortunately had a TON of backyard fireworks really close by on the 4th (they were going off for hours) and there was paper debris from fireworks on the car too so I assumed it was from all of the smoke. But now I’m guessing that a light rain picked up the cement and rained it down on the car. I haven’t had time to have the car washed yet. I hope it comes off.

JTM July 7, 2010 (9:57 am)

Ash Grove has been covering the Duwamish waterway with corrosive cement dust and other unknown particulates in the most unapologetic way. They have fiercely disputed damage claims I have personally made, denied clean up requests subsequent to “tests” of pollutants that they blame on port traffic and other area industry, and generally seem to wiggle out of a lot of liability. Have made several calls to the EPA about particulates and pollution (clearly cement dust, though Ash disputes it) and nothing happens. Are these people buying the right to pollute? How many accidents or deaths at this plant are we supposed to tolerate in addition to the usual muck they churn out? Move out of town already!!

patricia davis July 7, 2010 (10:03 am)

If Puget Sound Clean Air got only two complaints (and I was one of them) then HELLO West Seattle! Paying attention to the air over here? This phone number is for Puget Sound Clean Air Agency 206.434.8800 then press option 6 and then POUND sign to leave a voice message. If it is during business hours do the same number and press “O” for operator. Or, best yet (in order to hold them accountable) do an online complaint when you are suffering from air pollution (eg: wood smoke from fireplaces, or other air pollution. REMEMBER: wood smoke is 12 TIMES more toxic than a cigarette. And even second hand smoke can kill you. American Lung Association website will detail wood smoke hazard in detail. For people burning wood in their yard (geez!) in the outdoor burning devices call the Fire Dept. There are very strict laws about that – including distance from a flammable surface (house, fence, etc) and often they will be told to put the fire out. BBQ? do a google search on lighter fluid: takes going almost all the way around the planet to neutralize that chemical (and someone actually “eats” it along with briquettes….figure it? Nasty chemicals.

Anyway, increasing reporting to Puget Sound Clean Air would be helpful to W. Seattle air. They are rather useless as an agency,but perhaps we could get more effectiveness is more people took the time to call/report?

WestSeattleDrew July 7, 2010 (12:53 pm)

I read an article years ago in the Seattle Times (I believe or PI) about how the Northeast slope of West Seattle has the most toxic air quality in ALL OF Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. (steel mill, port of Seattle, Ash Grove Cement….)

Wish I could find the article!

AnotherIdiotInWS July 7, 2010 (3:41 pm)

I love claims like PD’s. Where on earth did you do any research that claims me smelling someone’s wood fire is 12 times more hazardous than smoking a cig?

What I really want to know is – how is it possible that this kind of venting is ok to do? Will they get a fine for this specific event?

dsa July 7, 2010 (7:50 pm)

WestSeattleDrew I’m sure your article was referencing A/Q before the clean air act because before it the mill had no bag house and it was pretty dirty around there.
…
I used to work in A/Q and I can not recall any monitors with high numbers coming from WS. The winner is in the Lake City area. They have a natural bowl and in stagnate air smoke and pollutants … well they get stuck.

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