Snowy road!
Brownish snow blanketed a small town in Maine on Tuesday, enraging residents as local officials warned that the discolored snowflakes could cause dermatitis.
After a breakdown at the Rumford division of ND Paper, a local paper mill, released black liquor, a byproduct of the paper-making process, into the air, giving the falling snow a distinctive yellow-brown color, Rumford town officials have issued a warning to local residents. He urged people not to touch contaminated snow.
“It's everywhere,” said business owner Bonnie Datchell. told Maine News Center.
“It's very dirty snow! It looks like spring snow, but it's actually more of a reddish-brown color,” she added.
Although the chemicals emitted by the 100-year-old factory have since been determined to be non-toxic, physical contact with the discolored flakes can cause skin and eye irritation due to the substance's pH level of 10. may cause. City posted on social media.
Local schools were advised against children playing in the brown snow, and residents were warned to keep their pets indoors.
“Although non-toxic, do not touch or allow skin contact,” the town posted.
“We're hopeful that tomorrow's rain will wash away most of the material and wash it away from the ground and people's homes and properties.”
The town said the state Department of Environmental Protection was on site Tuesday afternoon and tested the contaminated snow, which found the pH was just below 8.
The paper mill has since fixed the flawed system and notified regulators of the problem, but agreed to pay for third-party testing of the bronze-colored snow to defuse public backlash. Results are expected within a week.
“Based on DEP testing, our understanding is that there is no immediate threat to the public at this time,” Rumford Town Manager George O'Keefe told local news outlets.
“Of course, we're asking people not to touch the snow, or swallow it, or get it in their eyes or anything like that.”
