UPDATE: River Street Warehouse Fire and Asbestos Response in Northwest Portland
The update is as follows:
• Oregon DEQ and EPA teams have surveyed areas of northwest Portland and were unable to find asbestos-containing debris in some areas, and have recovered asbestos fibers in other areas.
• This survey, reconnaissance and recovery work will continue on Thursday May 18.
• Real-time air monitors continue to show no elevated levels of particulates (e.g. dust) in northwest Portland neighborhoods from the fire, however levels are still elevated at the warehouse fire site itself.
• This monitoring will continue at the fire site and in surrounding communities.
• EPA has secured the warehouse fire property and continue stabilizing the site.
For incident response updates visit: http://www.oregon.gov/deq/Programs/Pages/River-Street-Fire-Response.aspx
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Previously released information is below:
Release Date: May 16, 2017
Joint-Agency Response to River Street Warehouse Fire in North Portland Shifts to Asbestos Abatement Cleanup and Monitoring
Public advised to take safety precautions around asbestos-containing debris
Portland, OR—The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are coordinating with other state and federal agencies to develop plans to remove and dispose of asbestos-containing debris from a warehouse fire at 1300 North River Street, Portland, Oregon, that started Sunday May 13.
The public is advised to avoid direct or indirect contact with the asbestos-containing material which may look like ash or paper which crumbles to dust upon contact.
If you live or work near the warehouse fire location, do not touch, do no try to pick up, move or vacuum any debris that may have come from the fire. The debris will look like ash or paper, and crumbles to dust easily. This dust may contain asbestos. . Lab results show that the roofing paper contains asbestos. DEQ consulted with the Oregon Health Authority. OHA indicated that the type of potential short-term exposure to asbestos related to the fire is unlikely to pose any significant health risks.
DEQ, EPA, OHA, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, and Multnomah County are coordinating with the Portland FireDepartment under a joint-agency unified incident command structure to minimize risks to the surrounding neighborhoods. The Portland Fire Department will continue efforts to suppress the hot spots without disturbing the debris. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
When asbestos containing materials break down, asbestos fibers can be released. The fibers are very small and thin and cannot be seen without a microscope. Breathing these fibers can cause asbestos-related disease. They can stick in the lungs, causing asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
The risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers is greater for people who smoke. People who get asbestosis have usually been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time, although that is not always the case. Disease symptoms do not usually appear until 10 to 40 years after the first exposure to asbestos.
For more information about asbestos: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=29&tid=4
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Contact:
Suzanne Skadowski, Public Information Officer, EPA, 206-900-3309, skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov
Jennifer Flynt, Public Information Officer, DEQ, 503-730-5924, flynt.jennifer@deq.state.or.us