Residents in Delaware City are concerned about their air quality after a mechanical breakdown at a refinery there last week has caused it to release sulfur dioxide, pushing the chemical's levels in the air above the legal limit.
Although officials say the level of sulfur dioxide in the air is not at a public health danger level, but that is not stopping residents from being concerned about the air they are breathing.
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WATCH HERE"I kind of want to get out of here," said Amira Sandiford, a Delaware City resident. "It's a quaint, quiet town, but they have a lot going on lately, and it’s not safe for us. Air pollution and just living by it. I’m sure it’s affecting others."
Sandiford says she has not experienced symptoms from the leak, but Dr. Jane Clougherty, a professor at Drexel University in environmental and occupational health, said the sulfur dioxide could still be effecting people, especially if they live downwind from the refinery.
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SIGN UP "Certainly those individuals with COPD, severe asthma, children, the elderly, may want to be a little bit cautious for those days," she said.
New Castle Councilmember Kevin Caneco, who represents Delaware City, said people are telling him they smell gas and are coughing a lot. He wants more to be done about the leak, and that it is not the first time something like this has happened.
"We know it can be irritable to people's lungs. We know it can put people in danger, and that's why they put out this release and this is not an isolated incident," Caneco said. "This keeps happening. The refinery needs to get it right and we are calling on DNREC to make those corrections and be strong regulators to ensure this doesn't keep happening."
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NBC10 reached out to the state environmental team, who said that shutting down the refinery until the issue is fixed takes a couple days, and in that process, they say it’s more likely more sulfur dioxide would actually get released into the air.
Officials also said they would investigate and fine the refinery if warranted.
