ROCKTON, Ill. — Chemtool’s parent company, The Lubrizol Corporation, announced Wednesday that air sampling in the wake of last week’s fire is not showing a negative health risk to the surrounding community, other than the “short-term irritation one would normally experience in the presence of smoke.”
“We hope these results give residents peace of mind,” a Lubrizol spokesperson said in a news release. “But the work does not stop here. We are fully committed to ongoing testing.”
The release also provided updates on the firefighting foam that was used after last week’s grease fire, which led to evacuation orders for a one-mile radius around the northern Illinois plant.
Officials said fluorinated foam was used in the early stages of firefighting efforts given the heightened risk of letting the fire burn and spread. The release said the foam that was used offered the best chance to control the fire in the shortest amount of time.
Lubrizol said it and U.S. Fire Pumps teams also instituted measures to contain the foam, which included digging containment trenches around the property, applying absorbent materials and vacuuming foam and water into industrial storage tanks for disposal.
Last week, nearby residents also found pieces of fire-related debris show up in their yards. Officials said they are working with Clean Harbors to remove the debris, which it expects to continue doing through the end of the week.
All of the fire-related debris collected by Clean Harbors will later be sent to an EPA-approved facility for disposal.
“We know this is a period of concern and frustration and we sincerely apologize for the disruption,” the statement said. “We will continue to provide support to the Rockton community to help our neighbors recover.”
According to The Chicago Tribune, than 100 Rockton residents who were forced from their homes are filing two lawsuits seeking class-action status against Lubrizol.
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