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Council told by province re-entry is safe

PHOTO. Supplied. RMWB.

Despite concerns raised by councillors at Tuesday’s meeting, the province confirmed Fort McMurray is safe for re-entry, saying that testing is constant and continuing and will be done throughout all areas of the community.

Councillors Colleen Tatum, Jane Stroud, and Allan Vinni specifically raised concerns about the fact that soil and ash tests hadn’t been done in every single community.

But the province made it very clear that those communities, including Anzac, were not deemed significant risks based on air quality tests and other testing that has been done. The representative from the province, Shane Schreiber, said the community is up-river from the worst of the damages from the fire, which eliminates much of the danger.

Questions were raised about whether contaminants from the heavily damaged communities had been sent airborne in heavy winds over the past few weeks. Schreiber said that they were, which is why air quality was measuring in the 30s and 40s, but they are no longer airborne in the community, which is why the air quality now is consistently around 1 or 2.

The contaminants from ash and debris are staying localized to the heavily damaged areas, meaning they are not spreading to the air or water supply, and Alberta Health Services said it will continue to monitor those areas to ensure there is no spread of contaminants.

The spray used to tacify the areas damaged in the fires is working and is preventing the spread of contaminants.

Communities missed in the first round of testing, which included 40 areas in the region, will be part of further testing that will be done in the weeks, months and years after this fire.

Earlier in the day, Councillor Colleen Tatum had issued a statement demanding testing be done in every community and questioned provincial representatives about plans for future testing.

Schreiber said the province already has plans to test every area of the community for the weeks, months and years following this major fire event and that the results will be shared with the public.

Some councillors, including Tyran Ault, made it clear they want to see the test results with their own eyes. Schreiber didn’t say whether that would be possible.

He did say they would continue to share the results of the testing.

The communities of Abasand, Beacon Hill and Waterways were deemed unsafe for re-entry and the province said there may be homes adjacent to Stone Creek, Blackburn Drive, and Wood Buffalo where there are dangers and those residents will know that from the fire map or will be met by officials on their return.

This re-entry is voluntary and it is up to you whether you want to come back. However, Schreiber said if he were in our shoes he would return home. He said even if he had small children or cared for seniors he would come back to Timberlea. Schreiber is not among the groups being told to wait.

Those groups include anyone with health problems, pregnant women, people with children under the age of seven and seniors.

Regardless of whether you return this week or in two months you will be advised to wear a respirator, gloves, long sleeves and long pants, when doing any clean up where there is ash or any items that were left outside.

Toys for children and dogs will have to be sanitized on your return but that does not mean it’s not safe to return.

The Chief Medical Officer of Health for Alberta said explicitly the community is safe for re-entry and air quality has been consistently around 1 and 2 over the past week.

The more data collected and the more consistent the readings the more reliable it will be which is why the testing will continue and will be even more heavily focused toward public health.

To learn more about precautions you can take to keep yourself and your family safe during clean-up visit one of the information centres on your return or visit rmwb.ca/reentry and read the document prepared by Alberta Health Services.