Asphalt Plant Update II

The Ecology guy, Jerod, called yesterday and said he spoke with Granite NW's environmental man in Yakima, Aaron Davis. He said the plant wanted to be good neighbors and Mr. Davis gave me his cell phone number to call if other problems arose.

Jerod told Granite NW said the asphalt plant really did have a problem, last Friday, when their "bags blew". The bags sort through and contain toxic fumes somehow. When bags get older, they can get holes and operate less efficiently, and then can blow. Bags are supposed to be checked once a month. Jerod did not know how old these bags had been or how long they were "leaking" prior to the Big Bang. He said the plant put new bags on that next day, on Saturday, and said it cost them $40,000.

He said he also reviewed the file and told me he'd inspected the plant last in April 2007, not January 2007, which is when he found excessive emissions and told them they had to put in a scavenging system. Jerod says he found their letter of response and that they would have the system in within a week, by September 20th, 2007.

I told Jerod it was greatly improved but that even after they'd put new bags on, I was getting sick, because I had called him after the fact. He said the bags had to get dirty first to work better. I told him I was even sick yesterday morning but that it was much better and that I hope the scavenging system would take care of things.

I also asked him why, after their bags blew, they didn't shut down. He told me they ran the whole day. He didn't know. I repeated how sick I had been that day--that I'd almost passed out and could barely drive.

I told him I was glad they were getting these things done. My first priority and concern is my son and our mutual safety, and in a lot of ways, I was very impressed with the response of this company. They went so far as to invite me for a tour of their plant and to speak with their reps. Jerod told me they wanted me to go up to the plant if I had a problem. I said that was kind, but that I couldn't go closer to the fumes with a baby, or for my own safety, but that I would call.

Everything seemed on the up-and-up UNTIL Jerod gave me this last piece of information: "Oh, and Aaron tells me they haven't been running at night." Forget the bag blow, drop a bomb. "What?" I said, "What do you mean? They've been running almost every night I've been living here--I've seen it myself and I smell it!" Jerod said they claimed they'd only run the plant once or twice in the last 3 months. He tried to suggest, "Maybe you're smelling the smoke from Central Washington...they have an asphalt plant across the river, and I DO know they run at night..." I said, "No." And I explained to him that I never smelled smoke from that plant, it was too far away, not to mention it was downriver and the wind doesn't blow that direction. At night, the apshalt fumes came into our bedroom window by the wind and it wasn't possible that Central Washington was the culprit. Not to mention, I had gone out my door and SEEN with my own eyes the huge pillars of smoke coming of this Basin plant. I said to Jerod, "This is weird. Someone is lying." Jerod said he was just getting his info from Aaron and Aaron wouldn't lie. I said I understood, but someone was then giving wrong info to Aaron. And why? I asked, "Is it illegal to run at night?" Jerod said no, and he'd said that before. But I was wondering more specifically if a plant had to have a special permit to run at night, and if they did not.

Last night, again, there were NO asphalt fumes at night. It's the second night we've been fume-free. Jerod asked when I smelled the fumes at night and I said it was always after dark. At least after 9 p.m. and sometimes maybe closer to 11 p.m. or later. I told Jerod, "Look, I didn't make up the bit about the huge columns of smoke pouring out of the plant at night. I didn't even know they are not supposed to be "opaque" and that it was evidence of violations. I just told you what I saw and then you explained that it would be against code, and then later you said they could do more at night." I told him it had even crossed my mind that the plant was trying to get away with something because I had wondered why there was such an output at night but not during the day, like they were using night as a cover.

I asked him if there was a way to find out how much asphalt production there was and be able to determine more was produced than possible during the day. Basically, he said I'd have to make a complaint and he didn't sound like he wanted to do it. He had already pointed out how the plant had spent $40,000 for new bags and sounded impressed with the number. From my perspective, I don't care how much money they spend, they need to be in compliance and no one evacuated the residents here or alerted us to the health hazards when the "bags blew" and I almost passed out. They continued to let their plant run all day. But what bothered me most...I would have been happy to forget everything and move on, until I heard someone was claiming they never operated at night. I know that is a lie. I don't know why someone would lie, but, ahem...well, you know what I mean...something stinks.

The other thing that bothers me a little is that Jerod changed the date of when he said he last inspected the plant. The first time I talked to him he said January 2007 several times, and even asked me to wait as he grabbed the file. He got the file and he had the information before him. Yesterday he said he realized it wasn't in January he was last out, but April. So suddenly the time elapsed from his last inspection and the plant's ho-hum delay in fixing things as they continued to operate is minimized. Maybe there was a genuine misread on his part. I'm willing to give everyone the benefit of a doubt, except those who claim the plant was never running at night.

For the almost immediately improved air quality following my complaint, thank you Granite Construction Inc. The plant fumes, I checked this morning, are very diffused and this morning, I am not even nauseous. The wind's blowing fumes away from us (I can tell by which way the fumes lean or drift from the plant) but I am optimistic. Please continue safety checks on equipment and please let me and other neighbors know if there needs to be an evacuation later. Because someone lied about the night operations, I'll have to make a complaint simply so someone can look into things further, but I'm doing it as a matter of conscience, and not ill-will. Thanks to everyone for getting back to me so quickly, Jerod included.