Further asbestos tests on Sinclair fire come back negative

More tests performed on the smoke plume emitted by fire at the Sinclair site were negative for asbestos, the city announced today.

The fire, smoldering into its second week, has raised concerns about health hazards that might be present in the former meatpacking plant, an immense complex at 1600 Third St. SE.

Air samples collected from three locations within 100 feet of the burning buildings, on Dec. 18 and 21, showed the asbestos fiber concentration was below analytical sensitivity.

Breathing asbestos can lead to lung cancer.

Family Environmental, Inc., of Cedar Rapids was hired by the city to conduct air quality testing after the Iowa Department of Natural Resources recommended the tests.

The company, based in the Cherry Building, 329 10th Ave. SE, just blocks from the fire, also conducted its own tests on Dec. 16, out of concern for the health of its employees.

Those tests, taken on the second day of the fire, also were below the Environmental Protection Agency's clearance level for asbestos of .01 fibers per cubic centimeter.

The samples were analyzed by Reservoirs Environmental, Inc., laboratory in Denver, Colo.

Firefighters have been battling the blaze on the city-owned property since Dec. 15.

Linn County Public Health has issued several health advisories in that time, warning people with asthma and other respiratory conditions to stay indoors and limit their physical activity.

The warnings were issued when fine particulate matter in the smoke - the tiny particles created by the fire - rose to dangerous levels.

Those levels have since declined, but health officials noted that people with breathing conditions could still be affected by the smoke, depending on weather conditions and the fire itself.