This morning I attended a Tactical Assessment Meeting (TAM) of all the agencies involved in fighting the burning stack at Oak Tree Farm in Slitting Mill, Rugeley.
The agencies have now decided to cap with soil to contain the fire and reduce the smoke. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service will be undertaking this work immediately. It is estimated that the works will take approximately two to four days to complete.
Capping the fire with soil is the now preferred option of those available since the discovery of asbestos. The ongoing turning over of the burning waste exposes firefighters to a greater risk and therefore the Fire Service needed to change its tactic from extinguishing the fire to containment.
This action will not put the fire out but will provide a fixed barrier which will significantly reduce the amount of smoke being released from the site. The stack will potentially still produce smoke and will remain very hot for some considerable time. Following the discovery of asbestos the Fire Service’s tactic needed to change given the potential exposure to personnel who were working in the immediate vicinity of the fire. Up until the discovery of the asbestos the Fire Service were focused on extinguishing the fire altogether.
Cannock Chase District Council have confirmed they will be undertaking air monitoring on site to ensure any smoke that is released, once the capping work has been completed, remains a low risk to local residents.
The situation has constantly evolved and the capping of the fire will not extinguish the fire, it will retain heat while underground and continue to burn, albeit in a slower manner. The stack will be dangerous and the public should not go near it. The burning can produce pockets in the stack that people could fall into if they walk on the stack. I do not know when it will be extinguished using this method as it is much slower than using the solution which was deployed over the weekend and Monday.
I have spoken to the agencies involved to reiterate the need for the site to be monitored, secured and the incident fully investigated.
I have stressed with all of the agencies involved that the capping does not mean the fire can be forgotten. Although the waste is essentially buried, it remains a fire risk and a contaminant to the land, so needs to be removed when it is safe to do so. I will continue to stress this point at every opportunity.
I have also received many questions from residents on everything from future investigations, health concerns and related issues regarding the fire. I am collating all the questions and as I receive answers to these many questions, they will be placed on my website and Facebook page. Many of the questions raised are in areas in which I would not claim to be an expert, so I am referring the questions to the relevant organisations.
If you want to be included in my update list please email me on [email protected] and I will include you in all updated on this issue as it develops.
Below is a update from the agencies about asbestos.
Public Health England (PHE) risk assessment following discovery of asbestos in fire at Oak Tree Farm, Rugeley
PHE have issued this response to local residents who might be concerned about today’s announcement by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service that some material containing asbestos has been found at the scene of the fire.
Is there asbestos in the smoke plume?
Since the presence of asbestos was confirmed on Tuesday 20th September by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service PHE has carried out an early health risk assessment of the situation.
Because of the widespread use of asbestos (such as within building materials and brake linings) in the mid to latter part of the 20th Century, asbestos fibres are present in very small quantities in both urban and rural air in the UK. As a result we are all breathing in small amounts of asbestos fibres over our lifetimes and we all have asbestos fibres in our bodies without any obvious adverse effects. The risk of any ill health from asbestos is related to the total amount of fibres inhaled over a lifetime.
Experience from similar asbestos fires suggests that the likely public exposure will be very low and asbestos fibres are unlikely to be readily released into the smoke plume from asbestos containing material (ACM).
This is particularly the case for asbestos cement, which is the type of asbestos discovered at Oak Tree Farm, but also applies to other types of ACM. Moreover the fire is of relatively low intensity which would also tend to limit the amount of fibres released into the atmosphere. Lastly, the material has been damped as a consequence of firefighting activities.
If there was a significant amount of ACM discovered most of the risk to human health would be restricted to the immediate surrounding area where specialist clean-up operations would be required to safely dispose of the material.
What about the risk to schoolchildren and other members of the public?
We know that local schools are sited sufficiently far away to avoid exposure to any asbestos fibres that could be carried in the smoke. We also know that asbestos fibres are likely to be mainly fixed within the fabric of the material and hence few fibres will be liberated to the air. This means that schools and towns such as Rugeley or villages such as Brereton are very unlikely to be exposed to significant levels of asbestos. The main risk to human health from this source comes from close contact with loose or damaged material at the site of the fire which is why a specialist clean-up operation will be needed.
Has the public health advice changed as a result of the discovery of asbestos?
No, the same advice holds. That is, to stay out of the smoke if it is present and remain inside with doors and windows closed. This advice guards against short term effects of smoke inhalation that can cause coughing and lung irritation, and also any potential for asbestos exposure.
Is further air quality monitoring equipment needed to test the plume?
There is air quality monitoring equipment due to be installed by the Cannock Chase Council. From its experience of similar fires involving Asbestos over recent years, PHE has a good knowledge of the scientific evidence about the content of these smoke plumes.
What is the danger of asbestos?
(Residents should be assured that none of the circumstances described below relate to the fire at Oak Tree Farm).
Breathing in air containing asbestos fibres can lead to asbestos-related diseases, including cancers of the lungs and chest lining. Asbestos is only a risk to health if asbestos fibres are released into the air and breathed in. To encounter any long term health effects from asbestos, a direct exposure by inhaling asbestos fibres would have needed to have taken place over a long period of time. There is evidence to show that breathing in large quantities of asbestos over a long period of time (such as in an occupational setting) mainly affects the lungs and in some cases it can cause a cancer of the lining of the lung called Mesothelioma; it can also cause lung cancer.