Mysterious Purple Vapor Engulfs Maine's Ecomaine Waste Plant
Purple-pink smoke has been observed rising from the stacks at Ecomaine, a waste-to-energy plant in Maine, for the second consecutive day. The vapor, caused by a larger than normal amount of iodine in the waste stream, was resolved within two and a half hours. While vaporized iodine can pose health risks if directly inhaled, it is unlikely that anyone had direct exposure due to the short duration of the incident. Maine's Department of Environmental Protection is investigating the root cause, potential health and environmental impacts, and working to prevent similar events in the future.