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We are the Merced Stop Wal-Mart Action Team: a broad, grassroots coalition of community groups and thousands of Merced residents opposed to the construction of the proposed Wal-Mart distribution center in Southeast Merced.
Valley air quality news
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Sunday, 16 November 2008 20:39 |
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San Joaquin Valley Air Basin pollution costs $6 billion annually 100 percent of San Joaquin Valley residents breathe dangerous air
LOS ANGELES — Air pollution imposes costs on the California economy of at least $28 billion annually according to a new economic study released today. The study, which focuses on the South Coast and San Joaquin Valley Air Basins, also found that the life and health-threatening dirty air in these regions contributes to more than 3,800 premature deaths each year. “These findings come at a critical juncture as lawmakers grapple with California’s commitment to protect public health in a weak economy,” said Dr. Jane V. Hall, a nationally recognized environmental economist at California State University, Fullerton, and the lead author of the study. “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.” Hall added, “Given the state of California’s economy, imagine what could be done if that $28 billion was being spent productively.” Economists specifically looked at the health and economic consequences of two pollutants, ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5). The study found that nearly every resident in the South Coast and every single resident in San Joaquin Valley is exposed to the life-threatening pollutants on a regular basis.
The cost of air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin is more than $1,600 per person per year — which adds up to a $6 billion cost to the region’s economy. According to the report, by simply meeting federal clean air standards, the region would save $6 billion a year. |
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Monday, 13 October 2008 16:56 |
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From the California Air Resources Board:
October 9, 2008
Commercial diesel vehicle owners warned of idling restrictions
Grace period over
SACRAMENTO: Air Resources Board staff hit the road this week to begin enforcing recently enacted anti-idling program for diesel engines that will reduce particulate matter emissions throughout the state.
ARB staff and local air quality officials throughout the state will enforce the idling regulations by monitoring sleeper berths and commercial on and off-road diesel vehicles where they operate. First time violations, idling for greater than five minutes, will receive a minimum civil penalty of $300. Subsequent penalties can be from $1,000 to $10,000. Owners, renters or lessees will be responsible for the penalty.
"Turning these engines off should be second nature," said ARB chairman, Mary Nichols. "It saves money, reduces pollution and protects the health of the driver and everyone working or living around the engines." |
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Sunday, 25 May 2008 13:16 |
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A new study conducted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimates that 3,000 San Joaquin Valley residents die prematurely every year from exposure to fine particulate. Previous studies had shown that fine particulate is responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,290 residents. Statewide soot causes up to 24,000 Californians to die prematurely every year. Exhaust from diesel trucks is the primary source of fine particulate in the Valley. The proposed Wal-Mart distribution center would not only increase the number of trucks traveling through the Valley, it would bring higher concentrations of particulate even closer to hundreds of Southeast Merced residents and their children. Read coverage from the Fresno Bee and LA Times. Click here to read the full study from CARB. |
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Saturday, 26 April 2008 09:07 |
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Saturday, Apr. 26, 2008
Air war: Government agencies fight the battle for healthy breathing
By DHYANA LEVEY
dlevey@mercedsun-star.com
Air War
To some, air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley means playing peek-a-boo with the mountains -- some days you see them, many days you can't.
For others, it means the threat of serious health issues, such as asthma and heart disease.
Melissa Kelly-Ortega, program associate with the Merced/Mariposa Asthma Coalition, has a 4-year-old daughter, Satya, who developed a chronic cough and must take twice-a-day medication for her breathing problems. That's one reason Kelly-Ortega became a front-line soldier in the battle for cleaner air. |
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Tuesday, 22 April 2008 20:40 |
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Report confirms ozone pollution can kill http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN2232360220080422 Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:01pm EDT By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even breathing in a little ozone at levels found in many areas is likely to kill some people prematurely, the National Research Council reported on Tuesday. The report recommends that the Environmental Protection Agency consider ozone-related mortality in any future ozone standards, and said local health authorities should keep this in mind when advising people to stay indoors on polluted days. "What impressed me was the consistency of the findings that ozone clearly ... does have an effect," Dr. Evelyn Talbott of the University of Pittsburgh, who worked on the study, said in a telephone interview. "It's small, but when you talk about a small effect over 300 million people, it's a lot." The report looks at ground-level ozone, a component of smog, as opposed to the ozone found in the high atmosphere, which protects the Earth from ultraviolet rays. Ozone is a form of oxygen formed by the reaction of sunlight on air containing other pollutants such as hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide. It is a powerful oxidizer, meaning it can damage cells in a process akin to rusting. It is known to cause respiratory problems and worsen heart disease. Children and the elderly are at special risk. The EPA asked the National Research Council, part of the advisory National Academies of Science, to analyze the link between ozone and early death. |
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