Villagers have raised concerns about debris which has fallen on their homes following the massive fire at the Norbert Dentressangle plant in Easton last week.
The light material fell as dust and in lumps, some almost a foot in diameter, when a large plume of thick black smoke rose high into the air from the fire which took hold at the plant last Monday destroying a number of cold storage areas.
Roger Green, of Scotland Lane, Ingoldsby, contacted the Journal to say he had collected a number of lumps of material which had fallen in his garden. He has been in contact with a number of agencies asking them to analyse the material so they can confirm it is safe, but so far he says nobody has looked at it.
Mr Green, 66, a physics teacher, said: “It is strange looking stuff. It has a metallic sheen. It is very brittle. Most people I talk to have experienced it.
“All we are asking for is someone from the Environment Agency or another agency to come out and take some samples, take it to a lab and get it analysed and tell us it does not pose a threat to human health. That seems to me to be a reasonable request.”
In an email to Mr Green, the fire service said there should be no risk to members of the public from the material.
The fire service said: “A very small area of the plant contained low hazard asbestos roof cladded boards which did not pose a risk to members of the public off-site. It is possible that unburnt pieces of insulation within the cladding may have been carried into the atmosphere by the buoyancy of the fire and deposited over an undetermined area downwind of the factory. However the fire and rescue service is of the opinion that the products of combusion from the fire should not pose a risk to member of the public.”
South Kesteven District Council also said there was little risk. Head of Environmental Services Mike Butler said: “Public Health England assessed the fire as low risk and therefore residents should not be concerned on subsequent debris deposited to ground that may have entered the local area. Any debris is likely to be burnt residue polystyrene filler. This is not dangerous and any that is found is safe to be disposed of in resident’s black bins.”
Norbert Dentressangle says its Easton facility is up and running again after the fire.
Managing Director Phil Shaw said: “I can confirm that normal service has been resumed at our transport and storage facility at Easton, near Grantham, and no one was laid off as a result of the incident.”
l See letters, page 6