WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — As we go into the seventh night since the fire started at the Weaver Fertilizer Plant in Winston-Salem, some residents who live around the plant are still seeing its impacts like contaminated creeks.
The city of Winston-Salem announced that some creeks downstream from the plant may be contaminated with chemicals, and some residents are worried.
“With me just finding out today, I’m definitely going to be a lot more cautious because I let them [the dogs] out by themselves a lot,” said Shon Purcell, a resident who lives right on Monarcas creek.
Monarcas, Mill and Muddy creeks have elevated levels of nitrites, nitrates, ammonia nitrogen, and other chemicals that could be harmful if ingested.
Tonya Reid is another neighbor that lives right beside the stormwater pipe that empties into Monarcas Creek.
Officials say dead fish have been found in that area.
“I was very nervous because I know that my dog is not going to go down there but he may go down there because he walks along the bank but I do see stray cats, feral cats walking around so it’s just a bad situation,” said Reid.
WFMY called the toxicology hotline created for residents impacted by the Weaver fire and asked about the health of pets and people who may get into the creeks.
They said it’s not so much being in the water, as it is ingesting large amounts of this water.
The city says there are no public water wells that have been affected and officials can’t predict just how long it’ll take for the water quality to improve.