Glass furnaces shut down at Hillcrest

ATTICA, N.Y. (WIVB) - The New York State DEC has shut down Hillcrest Industries' furnaces.

Up until now, they were still cooking, even while the EPA works to clean up the pile of burning refuse outside.

The furnaces have not been causing the foul odor. They are, however, thought to be the source of another health hazard in Attica - little pieces of glass floating into the air.

These microscopic particulates are created when Hillcrest crushes the glass. When they're released into the air, and people breathe that air, those glass pieces can get stuck inside people's lungs.

Attica Village Trustee John Perry said, "As they crushed the glass, the glass particulates were flying up into the air through their filters. Whether it was faulty filters, or maybe through their stacks somehow. The DEC is going to deal with that problem. This is something that the residents here have been asking for, probably, approximately six to eight months."

The DEC has ordered Hillcrest to fix the furnaces, so they'll stop spitting out those tiny glass pieces.

After Hillcrest makes those repairs, DEC workers will come back to test them. Then and only then will the plant be allowed to turn those furnaces back on.