KENNEWICK, Wash. — State officials and community members gathered with the Benton-Franklin Health District on Oct. 1 to discuss potential legislation changes and other issues following the Lineage Logistics fire in Finley.
Washington State Senator Perry Dozier highlighted the significant health impacts of the fire on the surrounding community.
“In my opinion, this is a huge health hazard for those people. They were inundated with smoke, not for one or two or three days. This was weeks. This was two months,” Dozier said.
Another major concern discussed during the meeting was groundwater contamination. According to the Benton-Franklin Health District, runoff containing chemicals might have leaked into the ground. Officials noted it takes about five years for contaminants to reach the groundwater, and the impacts are still uncertain. The health district aims to develop a plan to test groundwater and prevent further issues.
The purpose of the meeting was to explore possible legislation and other measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Benton County Commissioner Will McKay emphasized the importance of communication and collaboration.
“So it’s more of a communication with all of them to say, ‘Hey, guys, what can we do to work together more to where if this happens in Montana or Utah or somewhere elsewhere, you know, the residents aren’t affected as bad as they were in Finley,'” McKay said.
Washington State Senator Matt Boehnke suggested proactive measures to prevent future fires.
“How do we then get to a level where we can reduce this from ever happening again of recurring annual inspections with firefighters, with counties, or even a statewide map that says, here are all the industrial sites that are out there that are similar to this size and shape. Do they meet these current standards by the building codes?” Boehnke said.
