City of Becker issued the following announcement on Feb. 25.
Over the last three days I have heard many of your concerns regarding the fire at NMR. I understand and share your concerns.
In a situation such as this, the release of information typically flows through the lead law enforcement agency, and that’s why you have been receiving updates through the Police Department. We are all being mindful regarding the importance of disseminating accurate information that is fact based.
I can assure you that I have been heavily involved since the onset of the incident by personally being present with command staff for much of the operational period. This has provided me the opportunity to meet with emergency personnel and make sure they have the resources they need and that the concerns of every single citizen in Becker are top of mind.
This morning, a third-party consultant hired by NMR tested air from the smoke plume. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Federal Environmental Protection Agency are also sending staff to conduct testing. We will release those results as soon as we are able through the Police Department releases.
We are continually monitoring weather conditions and working with emergency managers to make sure our citizens are immediately notified if there would be any concerns related to the air quality.
Current situation is the fire is contained and under control with only a few hot spots burning. Due to the extreme cold weather conditions, the smoke that can be seen rising from the site is largely steam from evaporative cooling from the smoldering material.
As a community we are deeply grateful for all the first responders and emergency management personnel who have come here from across the state. As things return to some state of normal, my focus will shift to learning what caused this fire and doing everything I can to make sure it won’t ever happen again.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Becker
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