Skip common site navigation and headers
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Volcano: Mount St. Helens
Begin Hierarchical Links EPA Home > Volcano: Mount St. HelensEnd Hierarchical Links

 

Volcanic ash can travel hundreds to thousands of miles downwind from a volcano. Fresh volcanic ash is gritty, abrasive, sometimes corrosive, and always unpleasant. Although ash is not highly toxic, it can trouble infants, the elderly, and those with respiratory ailments. Ash can also get in your eyes and scratch them, especially when it's windy. Ash can be hazardous to grazing livestock and can damage or force the shutdown of drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities. The volcanic gases that pose the greatest potential hazards are sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen fluoride. Locally, sulfur dioxide gas can lead to acid rain and air pollution downwind from a volcano.

This site provides information about preparing for and recovering from volcanic eruptions and ashfall, and about EPA's response to the Mount St. Helens activity (to the right).

General preparation and recovery
Health issues
Environmental impacts
Related links


General preparation and recovery

Links in this section exit EPA exit EPA

top of page

 

Health issues

top of page

 

Environmental effects

top of page

 

Related links

top of page

     
Mount St. Helens Erupts
photo of Mount St. Helens
Live volcano-cam
Current USGS update
exit EPA

EPA Response

In its mission to protect human health and the environment, EPA may be involved in the monitoring of environmental conditions, assessing potential health impacts or responding to hazardous materials emergencies that may arise as a result of an eruption.

Human Health Impacts - EPA has considerable expertise on the potential health impacts from ash or chemicals released from volcanoes. Toxicologists and other specialists may be called upon to evaluate the environmental conditions and their effects on populations surrounding the mountain.

Emergency Response - EPA may be called upon to provide support to initial responders to an eruption event. A Unified Command has been established for the recent activity at Mt. St. Helens consisting of the U.S. Forest Service (lead agency), U.S. Geological Survey and state and local authorities. EPA has joined the Unified Command in an advisory and support role. EPA may provide support with GIS mapping and analysis, air monitoring and modeling, water monitoring, or other services to aid in the overall response.

Real Time Air Monitors

 

 

 
Begin Site Footer

EPA Home | Privacy and Security Notice | Contact Us