Group warns residents of unhealthy air

Officials: Expect worst as fire put out

BELLA VISTA — Residents near an underground fire should assume the air quality is unhealthy while contractors work to extinguish the fire, according to the Bella Vita Property Owners Association.

The air quality forecast for the remainder of the excavation activities is for an “unhealthy” air quality index and higher, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to the association website dedicated to the site cleanup.

The plan is to have the fire extinguished within 30 days, said Tom Judson, the association’s chief operating officer. Judson previously warned residents about an increase in smoke from the work site. Firefighters discovered the fire at the closed stump dump July 29.

“Potentially, the smoke could be worse than we have

seen to date,” he said in a May 13 video. “We want to make sure that our residents are aware of that. When you’re removing that material, you’re opening it up. All that oxygen is going in there. The fire is going to flare up, and it’s going to generate more smoke. So, that’s the biggest thing is we’re going to have more smoke than we have had previously.”

A post to a POA website on Saturday noted: “Until we are able to develop some data in the coming days, the contractors are recommending we assume the levels will be unhealthy or higher. It may make sense to assume unhealthy or higher until the fire is put out. Err on the side of caution. We would rather the daily results come out better than the forecast, not worse.”

State officials urged residents near the fire in December

to avoid prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors after an “unhealthy” air quality reading in the area. The state continues to caution people living within a half-mile radius of the blaze, although recent testing done by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality has shown air quality results mostly in the “good” range.

Some area residents have complained of respiratory and other health problems they associate with the smoke.

An air quality index of 0 to 50 is considered “good,” according to the EPA. The federal agency says the air quality index is a yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. The higher the air quality index value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern.

An air quality index of “unhealthy” would be 151 to 200, according to the EPA. Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects, and people with asthma or other health conditions may experience more serious effects, according to information on the EPA website.

Particulate matter monitoring measures the amount of solid and liquid droplets found in the air, such as ash, dust and smoke. The amount provides a snapshot of local air quality and how it might affect health, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

CTEH, one of three contractors hired by the association to help extinguish the fire, will do real-time air quality monitoring during the excavation, Judson said.

Work at the site started this weekend, according to the association website. Ash pockets in the northern part of the landfill had temperatures between 700 and 800 degrees. No hazardous substances or hazardous waste were identified either day.

The association agreed to take over responsibility to pay to extinguish the fire and clean up the site, ADEQ announced May 3. The state will maintain inspection duties and provide oversight, according to a news release.

Judson has said the association operated the dump on leased land from December 2003 to Dec. 31, 2016, when it was covered with soil. Nobody monitored the site the last few years it was open, but staff members would remove trash when possible, he has said. The property is now owned by Brown’s Tree Care.

The state started work to put out the fire before the Property Owners Association took over. The General Assembly appropriated $20 million for the project. The fire can be put out for as little as $4 million, Judson has said.