By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE Emergency Management Office cannot tell how long the wind will continue to bring haze to Saipan and Tinian, but assures the public that there is no sign that Anatahan is erupting again.
EMO Director Gregorio A. Deleon Guerrero said that based on the information they get from the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, there has been no eruption on Anatahan.
“But the volcano continues to emit gases and the haze comes here due to the shifting winds,” he said.
According to Deleon Guerrero, the haze “lingers” because the wind is slowing down.
“Right now we are looking at wind speeds of anywhere from 0 to 15 miles per hour,” he said.
The wind is always changing direction “but there’s a pattern that it usually follows and it’s just that the shift in direction has brought this haze,” he said.
The wind will eventually move the haze out of the area, Deleon Guerrero said,
The situation, he added, is not getting worse but as long as the haze stays here, “we need to exercise caution.”
He advised the public to minimize outdoor activities and stay indoors as much as possible until the haze clears out.
EMO’s seismic division continues to monitor the haze with the use of newly installed equipment that detects sulfur dioxide, or So2.
Seismic supervisor Ray Chong said what the device is telling them is that the So2 from Anatahan is causing the haze now.