A recent study claims local officials and environmental agencies downplayed hazardous air conditions during the Winston Weaver fertilizer plant fire and more should have been done to alert the public.
North Carolina environmental regulators recently approved the next step in the cleanup process at the former Weaver fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem. More testing will soon take place. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality recently approved a remedial investigation work plan for the Winston Weaver site. Montrose Engineering and Geology submitted the report on behalf of the plant.
The deadline to apply for reimbursement for expenses related to the Winston Weaver Company fire is this Thursday, even though a majority of allotted funding is still available. Back in February, the city set aside $1 million to reimburse low-income residents who were forced to evacuate during the fire. About 70% of it remains unclaimed, according to the latest financial report received by city officials.
City council met this week to once again discuss questions raised by the Winston Weaver Fertilizer Plant fire. The focus this time was on local building code, and how it could be changed to prevent similar accidents. Officials explained that Weaver repeatedly passed code inspections in part because the facility was held to lower standards. It was built in 1939, when sprinkler systems weren’t required, and there were no specific stipulations regarding hazardous materials.