What's causing pink vapor to come out of waste management facility in Maine?
PORTLAND, Maine - A waste management company in Portland, Maine is investigating why the facility is emitting a mysterious pink vapor.
The smoke was first seen coming from Ecomaine on Thursday and lingered throughout the weekend. At first, people living nearby thought the pink smoke was from a breast cancer awareness event or even to promote the "Barbie" movie. The company now thinks the burning trash may have contained iodine.
"Nobody let us know," said Emily Seitz, who lives nearby. "And considering it's in our, you know, breathing path, it's a little concerning."
"Our hope is that we can get to the root of the problem and remove this iodine from the waste stream so that we don't keep on receiving it," said Ecomaine General Manager Kevin Roche.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said exposure to iodine vapor could cause some health problems like insomnia, bronchitis, diarrhea and weight loss. It's unclear if Ecomaine will face any citations or fines.