Residents in the City of Warren have been expressing growing concerns over dust particles in the air following an incident at the United Refining Company on Tuesday, March 5th.

The United Refining Company has acknowledged an equipment malfunction at its facility which occurred on Tuesday, March 5th in the afternoon. 

According to their statement, a brief release of silica material occurred during the incident on Tuesday which has since been resolved.

The company's representatives have assured the public that proper notifications were made to the Environmental Protection Agency and local emergency management, and state that the dust particles do not pose a health threat.

They recommend any residents who have remaining residue to clean the dust particles with water and common cleaning supplies.

In the midst of these developments, Erie News Now spoke with concerned residents to get their perspective on the situation.

"There were piles starting to accumulate everywhere," stated Jennifer Smith, Warren resident.  "It started to be concerning. I noticed some residents nearby wearing masks, so I went online to see if I could find out what was happening, but I couldn't find any information anywhere."

In response to these concerns, we reached out to the Department of Environmental Protection for further insight, and they informed us that an investigation into the incident is underway.

They are looking into the nature and extent of the release of silica material. Additionally, they strongly advise any residents with ongoing concerns to contact the Department of Health for more information and guidance.