Making sense of air monitoring (Part 1)
Most of the time, you cannot see dirty air – for example you can’t see particulates. We know that particulates increase the age-specific mortality risk, particularly from cardiovascular causes. In fact, epidemiological studies suggest public health officials are underestimating the effect of acute pollution exposure on mortality and health outcomes. Other health Issues include those created by oxides of nitrogen, which affect respiratory conditions causing inflammation of the airways – this is often seen as asthma in children and adults.
Every once in a while, we can actually see dirty air such as the May 5, 2017 near catastrophic power loss at Valero and several days and weeks of black smoke. Each type of air pollution has major public health effects.
According to a California State University study in 2008 and subsequent studies by researchers on the cost of air pollution, dirty air in 2008 dollars cost California $28 billion. Some have noted that It may be tempting to think California can’t afford to clean up, but, in fact, dirty air is like a $28 billion lead balloon on our economy. Imagine what could be done if that $28 billion was being spent productively.
The Cal State study applies to Benicia in many ways because it studied two regions with very similar traffic, heavy-duty diesel truck and marine exhaust combined with refineries like those along the Strait including Valero that dominate our region, adding tons of pollutants to the air we breathe every day.
The cost of air pollution in dollars is directly related to premature death, hospitalizations and respiratory symptoms, limiting a person’s normal daily activity and increasing school absences and loss of workday. The $28 billion cost in 2008 reflects the impact these health problems have on the economy. Inflation and little progress on reducing air pollution suggests the costs are much higher now.
Making sense of air monitoring goes hand in hand with public health data. We don’t have this information. Each year, the life- and health-threatening levels of pollution cause the following adverse health effects for the two air basins studied by CSU:
* Premature deaths among those age 30 and older: 3,812 * Premature deaths in infants: 13
* New cases of adult onset chronic bronchitis: 1,950
* Days of reduced activity in adults: 3,517,720
* Hospital admissions: 2,760
* Asthma attacks: 141,370
* Days of school absence: 1,259,840
* Cases of acute bronchitis in children: 16,110
* Lost days of work: 466,880
* Days of respiratory symptoms in children: 2,078,300
* Emergency room visits: 2,800
In a March 2018 report prepared by the Solano County Department of Health (SCDH), we learned that Benicia has a higher rate of emergency room visits for asthma than Californians as a whole. The numbers are startling: in Benicia, 202.13 per 10,000 individuals went to the emergency room for asthma in 2011-13. The rate for California was 148.86 per 10,000. (SCDH source: California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.) The same report showed statistics on hospital admissions due to asthma: Benicia 81.08 per 10,000 compared to California at 70.55. Rates for emergency room visits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and mortality from chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD) were similarly higher in Benicia than statewide. Air pollution and asthma are contributing factors to these lung diseases. We need to know what exactly is in our air. Air monitoring for Benicia makes sense.
In Parts 2 and 3, we will take a look at air monitoring in Benicia and the good reasons for Benicia to adopt an Industrial Safety Ordinance.
Benicia ISO Working Group
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As I read this article I came to a startling conclusion. This group wants the Valero Refinery to leave town. Stop some marine activity and heavy duty truck activity. That all sounds good on an agenda driven ideals but what about meeting with Valero to review this along with the new state regulations which appear to much stronger than anything in Contra Costa County. There is in this part 1 of 3 nothing about the financial impact to the city or the area. I assume this group wants to charge Valero with fees thru the City of Benicia. I also believe this gruip should identify themselves.
It does appear the Mayor and her working group went around City Staff, City Attorney and the City council to b get their own draft ordinance to the table. My suggestion is to instruct city staff to prepare an ISO with the experts and then present it to staff. But at the same time take #2 approach first for monitoring and review to determine if the city even needs a separate ISO. You will notice in the mayors group there are undetermined fees to be charged to those company’s involved. Think Valero big time. A very totalitarian and dictatorial approach to an issue that that should be in the hands of the city and not jumped over to satisfy the agenda driven ideals for personal reasons. You are wrong mayor Patterson and are digging a bigger hole of distrust of Valero that is yours and your very small group of Progressive Democrats This is a favorite tactic of the Mayor so why not use it to satisfy her usual approach. Review the outside group Draft Ordinance but put it aside and let city staff draft an ordinance if necessary after review of option two. There will be very heavy turnout by the mayors group to move forward with her groups draft ordinance. Wrong that is a city council decision and it should not go ahead of city staff, city attorney or city council direction.
Dear Benicia ISO working group. Please submit yourselves to the nearest mental hospital since all of you seem to be paranoid and are a danger to the community. MUCH more dangerous than dirty air.
For more information about your disease, please read the following and refrain from causing others to enter your delusions…
https://www.drgeorgesimon.com/a-rare-but-potentially-dangerous-personality-disorder/
One who speaks to vegetables is hardly a credible diagnostician of Mental Illness. Your reference to “Paranoid Personality Disorder” is laughable.
Seriously? DId you read the reference? Did you recognize any of the traits of PPD? You just prove my point by your paranoic response to my query about folks with delusions. Don’t foist your paranoia on me and please, get mental help. Don’t want to see you hurting one of your neighbors.
OH, and for those of you too lazy to read the PPD reference, here’s the gist of what PPD behaviours entail…does any of this seem familiar to those involved in the ISO working group?
Paranoid personalities exhibit a persistent, pervasive pattern of mistrust of the intentions and motivations of others.
Paranoid personalities are highly sensitive to personal setbacks and perceived slights, rebuffs, and injuries by others.
Paranoid personalities bear grudges and harbor resentments, often holding onto them with tenacity and using them to justify a hostile stance toward others.
Paranoid personalities can misconstrue even the most neutral or benign events as evidence of conspiracies, ill-intentions, and justification to mistrust
Paranoid personalities often have an unrealistic, exaggerated sense of self-importance, are self-absorbed and unduly self-concerned, and therefore cannot accept the blame for personal failures (i.e. have some malignant narcissism).
Paranoid personalities are predisposed to aggress in the face of perceived threats to their worth or safety.
This definitely applies to some that post on here.
Thanks Thomas. I am glad you understands the group that it is pointing to. The comment was a direct hit on folks that go overboard on the need for a local ISO. would THAT INCLUDE YOU?
I disagree with your premise.
For those that want to see a full report, the Asthma report can be found here:
http://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/ab617-community-health/vallejoab617-presentation_green-pdf.pdf?la=en
Note that Benicia has very low levels compared to Solano County as a whole, and the hot spots are in Vallejo and far to the east, with levels far above those of Benicia.
Why? The report says the major causes are 1) poverty (and the associated poor housing/ventilation conditions and smoking, including secondary smoke), 2) Freeway pollution and 3) pesticides in agricultural areas. Yes, Benicia’s levels are above the state average, but far below the Solano County average. Not surprising Benicia is above the state average: we are surrounded by freeways: 80 and 680, with 780 running through town and there are toll booths on the Carquinez Bridge that, as we all know, stop traffic and allow tons of car emissions to blow straight over to us.
Local emissions can be found here:
http://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/engineering/air-toxics-annual-report/2015/2015_toxic_annual_report-xlsx.xlsx?la=en
Note that the units for emissions are in pounds per year, and that while Valero is a significant discharger for our area, it is not the only one (our wastewater treatment plant puts out about 1.5 tons per year of H2S and coffee roasting emits formaldehyde!).
I look forward to seeing the proposals on monitoring.
Thanks Greg
Geeze, did somebody pull your chain, Mr. “Owl”? It’s hard to imagine why you feel so threatened by an ISO, something designed to keep a community safe… Every other refinery in the Bay Area operates under an ISO. Why shouldn’t Valero? What are you (& Valero) so afraid of?
Since you are demonizing & demanding the identities of those who support the ISO, how about if you reveal the true reason you are so overly protective of Valero? What are your ties to the refinery?
First off I have no ties to Valero. I am not an employee and do not get compensated in any way from Valero. My question to you Sista is do you think Valero is being given due process? The Mayor in putting the amended agenda item with her own/group IOS is not in the best interest of any resident of this fine city. Valero does deserve due process. How would you have felt if two councilmembers did the same thing with a noise ordinance draft. The mayor and her group would have gone slightly overboard. Valero does deserve due process and I hope they get it. By the way Valero does operate under an ISO. Where have you been..
Sista I answered your questions. Now what?