Edmonton motorists and those with east-facing windows were baffled Friday morning by pinkish-purple smoke emanating near Refinery Row.

The smoke appeared just after 11:30 a.m. and triggered calls to Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS). City officials say the smoke was the result of a power failure at Enerkem Alberta Biofuels, an ethanol plant.

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The release posed no threat to the public or environment, city and company officials said.

The smoke could be seen rising Friday morning from the city-owned Edmonton Waste Management Centre (EWMC) on Aurum Road, where Enerkem is located.

Fire spokeswoman Suzzette Mellado said a single crew responded at 11:47 a.m., found no fire and contained the smoke. Emergency crews eventually deemed the area safe and allowed employees to return to work.

City of Edmonton spokeswoman Nicole Paradis said waste management centre officials “continue looking into the situation.” The city notified Alberta Environment and Parks of the emission.

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“The quantity of substance that was evacuated in the air is below occupational exposure limits and there are no safety or health concerns,” Paradis said.

In a written statement, Enerkem apologized for “any inconvenience or alarm” the smoke caused.

The Enerkem plant turns trash into ethanol , a synthetic fuel used to power cars and trucks. The process begins with dumping trash into a gasifier filled with hot sand, oxygen and steam. The process instantly turns the trash into a gas, which is eventually converted to ethanol.

Pink and purple smoke has been spotted wafting from waste-to-energy plants in other jurisdictions.

Last year, officials in Lancaster County, Pa., said a local plant was emitting coloured smoke after combusting a load of garbage containing iodine

County officials in New Jersey , meanwhile, told news site Patch that pink smoke was a harmless by-product of iodine combustion.

— With files from Elise Stolte

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