Air
Quality and Environmental Justice For All
The
following was presented to the California Air Resources Board. The
response of the ARB's Chairman is reprinted below.
Most of
us assume that those living in the more affluent parts of our community
are unlikely to be the victims of environmental injustice. Not anymore.
After
weeks of huge diesel dump trucks constantly caravanning up and down my
relatively narrow residential street, I protested to the authorities in
Beverly Hills City Hall. I was told that this was part of a huge
underground garage being constructed for a home near Sunset Boulevard.
And, that nothing would be done to re-route the trucks to wider, nearby,
streets, with deeper setbacks.
Then, one
hot summer day, more than 50 huge diesel cement mixers were routed both
up and down my street. By now, the leaves and blossoms on my gardenias
were thickly coated with black diesel particles, undoubtedly along with
my lungs.
Not
unlike many in our community, I am among those contending with chronic
illnesses and not looking for yet another fight.
Seemingly
to appease me, the city posted a sign at the nearest intersection,
prohibiting trucks in excess of a certain tonnage. It was consistently
ignored. I was then told that certain trucks were given routing permits
by the city, and that many going up my street must be scofflaws.
To check
on this, I went out into the middle of the street on two occasions and
blocked a couple of enormous diesels. The drivers were very polite and
both said that they were instructed to take this route. These trips were
completely unrelated to the underground garage project.
The
cement mixer’s diesel engine was so loud, that in response to my query
of the driver, as to whether he had a permit, he rolled down his window
and yelled that his boss told him to go this way. I asked who his boss
was. He pounded on the company name emblazoned on the cab door. It was,
ironically, “Over & Over, Inc.”
My 1923
home is not air conditioned, yet I did not dare open any windows, no
matter how stifling hot it became. That’s because at about this time,
UCLA’s Environmental Health Institute came out with a significant
report, finding that the serious health effects of diesel particle
emissions not only adversely affect one’s lungs, but every cell in one’s
body.
Next, I
called on the State Air Resources Board and on the South Coast Air
Quality Management District. Neither believed that this matter, of
residential diesel assault, fell within its jurisdiction.
After
months of daily recording and reporting dozens of diesels going up and
down my street, to no avail, I finally enlisted a member of the city
council to help in my plight. He reported that he had received an e-mail
from the city manager, saying that as of the following day, there would
no longer be diesel traffic on my block.
This was
confirmed by a city staffer, assuring me that this would be so. However,
the onslaught resumed, despite an occasional BHPD officer stopping a few
diesels without permits.
I have
suggested posting a camera, by the sign prohibiting such huge trucks. If
the city finds that the license plates don’t match those which have
permits, action could be taken. Legislation, such as that posting
cameras at major intersections, to catch those going through red lights,
could be recommended by the Air Resources Board.
There is
now a device to retrofit diesels which captures 80% of the particulates
and costs no more than $3,000. If required by the ARB, this would
qualify as a business deduction. And, there are newer trucks, designed
to burn cleaner fuel.
Imagine,
if all of the new construction trucks, garbage trucks, and large
delivery trucks such as those bringing bottled water into our
neighborhoods, were required to meet low emission requirements. It would
surely improve our quality of life and might even help reduce our
skyrocketing health care costs.
Meanwhile, the city staff has lessened the diesel impact on my street.
However, unless the ARB takes action to require retrofitting of diesels
and urges their replacement with cleaner-fueled trucks, the diesel
impact will simply be unfairly relocated, along with the adverse health
and environmental impacts.
I urge
the ARB to take action now, to order retrofitting, at a minimum, ASAP.
And, to investigate the placement of cameras adjacent to signs
prohibiting non-retrofitted diesel trucks of excessive tonnage from
entering residential areas.
Ellen
Stern Harris
Executive Director, Fund for The Environment
Editor of
www.BeverlyHillsCitizen.org
P.O.Box 228 / Beverly Hills, CA 90213
ARB
Response:
Thank you
for sending me your thoughtful comments to be distributed at our meeting
next week. I will make sure your suggestions are addressed.
Also,
thank you for the many years that you have spent in the pursuit of clean
air for LA.
Alan
Lloyd, Chairman
California Air Resources Board
Letter
to Terry Tamminen
Administrator, Cal-EPA, Jan. 23, 2004
Last week,
I sent you a copy of my testimony to the ARB, regarding the adverse health
effects of diesels. There's a sequel. Today, there were approximately a
dozen empty diesel dump trucks stationed in front of my house and all
along my side of the block. While they were awaiting the arrival of a huge
piece of diesel equipment, to rip up the pavement, preparing for fresh
asphalt to be poured, they all kept their diesel engines running.
This was
for over an hour, until I went outside, and showed the foreman one of the
gardenia leaves from my front yard. It was coated black from diesel soot.
Upon my request, he agreed to turn the engines off, until the trucks were
actually needed for hauling. The diesel emissions were not only having an
adverse health effect on the residents, as even with all our windows shut,
the diesel exhaust penetrated our homes. However, of equal concern should
be the lungs of the truck drivers and their supervisors on the street.
I mentioned
this to Fund for the Environment's science and medical advisor, Harvey S.
Frey, MD, PhD. Below, is what he had to say about this. Many thanks for
anything you can do to help come to grips with the terrible problems
caused by diesel engine emissions in our urban midst.
Ellen
Response
From Dr. Harvey Frey
Dear Ellen:
All those
trucks idling for hours must be pumping out large amounts of Carbon
Monoxide (CO). And all the workers must be exposed to it for much of the
working day. It would be interesting to measure their blood
carboxyhemoglobin levels, which is the non-functional form of hemoglobin
which has been poisoned by CO. The CO binds tighter than oxygen, so the
hemoglobin becomes useless for its usual function of transporting oxygen.
Does OSHA
or CalOSHA have limits on how high carboxyhemoglobin levels are allowed to
get in workers? Shouldn't unions be concerned about their members being
poisoned by carbon monoxide? That's all beside the adverse environmental
effects of uselessly burning fuel and filling the air with particulates,
as well as CO.
Harvey S.
Frey, MD, PhD Esq.
Science and Medical Advisor, Fund For The Environment
Cal-ARB
Response
Dear Ms.
Harris:
Your
unfortunate experience with exposure to excessive pollution from a series
of high-polluting idling diesel dump trucks in your neighborhood has been
brought to my attention. We would like you to know that the California Air
Resources Board shares your concerns and is currently in the process of
developing a regulation to limit the unnecessary idling that you had
described.
We invite
you to participate in the public process in the development of our
regulation. For more information please visit our website:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/idling/idling.htm. We value your
participation and look forward to your input.
If you have
further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at (916)
322-2891 or email me at the aforementioned address.
Sincerely,
John Kato, Manager
Project Support Section
Stationary Source Division
California Air Resources Board - |
