It is time to put the fire out at the stump dump. It has been burning for six months and, thus far, nothing has been done but talk. A method to extinguish the fire has been suggested, but the experts have found fault with it. The best method to put the fire out quickly without increasing the air pollution is to inject argon gas into the cavity. Argon is an inert gas, meaning it does not react with other substances. It is colorless, oderless and heavier than air. Therefore, it will force the air out from the bottom up and, by replacing the air, put out the fire because the argon does not support combustion. It will not pollute either the air or the water. It probably would be far less expensive than opening the cavity and taking the logs out one-by-one and putting water on them. That method would also cause much more pollution of the air and water.
As Paul Harvey used to say, the EPA has not told us the rest of the story. There is another reason for putting the fire out quickly and that is the BENZENE. BENZENE is on "The Right to Know Hazardous Substance List" because it is cited by OSHA, ACGIH, DOT, NIOSH, NTP, DEP, IARC, NFPA and EPA. Benzene is a known carcinogen and prolonged exposure can cause blood diseases such as anemia and leukemia in humans. You can check this by researching on Google -- "Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet for BENZENE."
They also state that Benzene was detected in unusually high concentrations at the stump dump site itself but was not detected at their other testing sites. My question is what do they think happens to it after it is emitted at the site. Does it just stay there while everything else is carried away by the wind. I seriously doubt that would happen.
Let's put pressure on our Governor and Congressmen by contacting them and telling them we want immediate action.
Chet Campbell
Bella Vista
Editorial on 01/09/2019