A month after a massive four-alarm fire tore through the SPS Technologies facility in Jenkintown, the company says ongoing air and water monitoring shows no threats to public health, writes Sophia Schmidt for WHYY.
According to David Dugan, spokesperson for parent company Precision Castparts Corp., “there are no constituents of concern” in nearby creeks at levels that would endanger people or wildlife. Cyanide was detected in Tookany Creek in the early days, but levels dropped to undetectable by mid-March. A small fish kill was attributed to firefighting runoff.
Air quality monitoring also continues, both at the site and in surrounding neighborhoods. Results haven’t shown harmful levels of pollutants like hydrogen cyanide or volatile organic compounds. Independent experts and the EPA agree: the biggest health risks likely occurred the day the fire was most intense.
The company also tested fallen debris and soot, finding no significant health risks. Of 15 debris samples, only one had trace asbestos—well below OSHA’s threshold.
SPS says it will continue air and water testing “for the foreseeable future” and is offering roof and gutter cleanups to affected neighbors. While the smell and smoke left an impact, officials say the long-term environmental risk appears to have passed.
Read more about the SPS Technologies cleanup and aftermath in WHYY.
