Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
The state is looking at whether additional measures are needed to keep dust out of the air. The fine particulate matter is typically blown up from road surfaces during dry windy weather, but that there are also issues with sand blasting, material transport and storage. Department of Environmental Conservation permit manager Tom Turner says dust is becoming a bigger issue as the state’s urbanized areas grow.
Coal ash is of special concern because it contains toxic heavy metals scrubbed from power plant emissions. The ash is considered inert and not a threat to leach into water and soil, but many tons of it are produced daily at Fairbanks area power plants.
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