The Maine Department of Environment Protection eased back on an active air quality alert on Friday afternoon, despite the fact that a fire at Eagle Point Energy Center continues to burn.
The agency on Friday announced that the alert that noted air quality posed a moderate threat to at-risk groups had been lifted for the state’s eastern Interior and midcoast region. It noted that air quality could continue to fluctuate if flare-ups occurred at the Orrington facility.
On Friday morning, Orrington Fire Chief Scott Stewart said there isn’t a set timeline for when the fire will be extinguished. The trash pile continues to smolder, and firefighters are on the scene 24/7 to extinguish flare ups as they happen.
The DEP warns people living within close proximity to the facility, including those living in Orrington and the Penobscot River Valley region should stay wary of any changes in air quality. It is advised to limit outdoor activities and avoid cycling outdoor air with air conditioners or open windows if you can smell smoke in the air.
The air quality throughout the rest of the state remains fair, with no air quality alerts currently in effect, according to the DEP website.
Further details on the state of the fire at the energy center have not been provided as of Friday afternoon. According to the morning press conference held by the Orrington Fire Department, it has not been determined whether the building is structurally safe for firefighters to enter in order to dig through the trash.
Questions and concerns remain over potential health impacts from the fire. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency collected particulates and dust near the facility Wednesday and Thursday and found “nothing hazardous.”
