Shutting Down the Power Plant
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Environmental Health Coalition Volume 28, Issue 3 Winter 2010 South Bay Power Plant: The End is Near CLICK HERE TO NAVIGATE End of the South Bay Power Plant on the horizon.........................................................Page 4 Extreme Home Retrofits coming to San Diego.................................................................Page 6 National City tackles Environmental Justice in General Plan ........................................Page 7 School children exposed to deadly diesel exhaust........................................................Page 8 EHC congratulates Port Commissioner Steve Padilla.................................................Page 10 EHC welcomes new board members, says thanks to outgoing members...................Page 11 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COALITION Fighting Toxic Pollution Organizing for Justice Protecting Public Health Promoting Environmental Justice EHC 1980-2010 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COALITION is dedicated to environmental and social justice. We believe that justice is achieved when empowered communities act together to make TOXINFORMER STAFF social change. We organize and advocate to protect public health and the environment Editorial Team JASON BAKER threatened by toxic pollution. EHC supports efforts that create a just society which foster SONYA HOLMQUIST a healthy and sustainable quality of life. DIANE TAKVORIAN Translators LILIA ESCALANTE JUDITH MINARICK EHC BOARD OF DIRECTORS President MARGARET GODSHALK, National School District Vice President CLARICE GAYLORD, PH.D. The B O R de R The CLEAN BAY The TOXIC FRee The CAMPAIGN U.S. EPA, Retired Secretary / Treasurer DAN MCKIRNAN, PH.D., ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPAIGN works NeIGhbORHOOds TO ELIMINAT E Community Activist BEATRIZ BARRAZA Colaborativo SABER JUSTIce CAMPAIGN to cleanup, restore CAMPAIGN CHILdhOOD LeAD DAVID DIDONATO Community Leader works to reduce toxic and protect San o r g a n i z e s i n POISONING works LORENA GONZALEZ San Diego - Imperial Counties Labor Council pollution caused Diego Bay and bay communities of to eliminate sources RUTH HEIFETZ, MD, MPH UCSD School of Medicine by maquiladora tidelands fr om color to advocate of lead exposure to CARMEN GUTIERREZ HERNANDEZ Community Leader i n d u s t r i e s i n i n d u s t r i a l a n d for the prevention protect children’s SHARON KALEMKIARIAN ESQ. Ashworth, Blanchet, Christensen and Kalemkiarian Tijuana and to Naval polluters of toxic pollution health. ENRIQUE MEDINA Alliance Consulting International promote fair trade and development from industrial and JOSE MEDINA Community Leader YENI LINQUI EHC Staff Representative and globalization activities. mobile sources. for justice. AFFILIATIONS ARE LISTED FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES ONLY EHC STAFF DIANE TAKVORIAN Executive Director SONYA HOLMQUIST Associate Director LAURA HUNTER Associate Program Director LETICIA AyALA Associate Program Director LILIA ESCALANTE Fiscal Manager STAY INFORMED! SARAH VEGA Development Associate/Executive Assistant JASON BAKER Communications Director Become a member of EHC today! JOY WILLIAMS Research Director DAVID URZUA Database/IT Manager Yes, I want to become a member of EHC. I am enclosing my tax- JORGE GLACKMAN Leadership Development Coordinator deductible membership contribution of: CLIMATE JUSTICE CAMPAIGN NICOLE CAPRETZ Director $25 $100 YENI LINQUI Organizer II TOXIC FREE NEIGHBORHOODS CAMPAIGN $50 $250 GEORGETTE GÓMEZ Director JANE LILLY Policy Advocate $75 $_____ Other MARIA MOYA Organizer II MONSERRAT HERNÁNDEZ Organizer Name__________________________________________________________ CAMPAIGN TO ELIMINATE CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING LUZ PALOMINO Organizer II Street__________________________________________________________ FRANCISCA JIMÉNEZ Campaign Associate City_______________________________ State__________ Zip__________ SILVIA LEÓN Campaign Associate BORDER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CAMPAIGN Phone: (W)_________________________ (H)__________________________ AMELIA SIMPSON Director MAGDALENA CERDA Organizer II Email: _______________________@_________________________________ Check enclosed Please charge my Visa Mastercard ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COALITION Card No.___________________________________ Exp.Date_____________ 401 Mile of Cars Way, Suite 310, National City, CA 91950 Tel. (619) 474-0220 Fax (619) 474-1210 Signature_______________________________________________________ EHC encourages the reuse of TOXINFORMER articles. Please acknowledge EHC as the source and send us a MAIL TO: EHC, 401 Mile of Cars Way, Suite 310, National City, CA 91950 copy of all reprints. Printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink www.environmentalhealth.org Environmental Health Coalition 3 nvironmental health describes the interrelationships between the environment and human health, particularly how pollutants in the environment adversely affect our health. EThese interrelationships may teeism. Asthma deaths and the num- ma. Rates are highest among adults be complex, but for large numbers ber of Americans diagnosed with over age 65, and Blacks have the of people of color and people from asthma continue to increase each highest asthma death rate among low-income households, the prob- year. race/ethnic groups. lems are obvious, as are many of the solutions. The 2008 San Diego County Air Toxics: Cutting Life Short Asthma Report Card issued by the For Maria Martinez and her San Diego Regional Asthma Coali- Asthma is just one of the chron- children, this means getting pollut- tion shows that 9,186 people in San ic illnesses linked to air toxics. ing industries out of Barrio Logan; Diego County visited the emergen- Particulate matter, including diesel for Diana Vera it means tearing cy room for asthma illness in Fiscal particulate, slows children’s lung down an outdated power plant in Year 2005-2006. Residents of the growth rate, makes asthma worse Chula Vista that has polluted her Central and South Regions of San and causes cancer, heart disease, community for 50 years; and higher death rates. Pre- for residents of Colonia mature deaths linked to par- Chilpancingo in Tijuana, ticulate matter are now at it means rerouting die- In this issue, you will read about levels comparable to deaths sel trucks that pollute EHC’s work to improve the environmental from traffic accidents and the community and the health of our communities, particularly by second-hand smoke. One of environment of nearby reducing exposure to air toxics. the most dangerous pollut- schools. ants, fine particulate matter – for example from diesel Large numbers of exhaust - not only bypasses people of color and people from Diego County were more likely to the body’s defense mechanisms and low income households live in these visit an emergency room for asth- becomes embedded in the deep- areas, and are exposed to higher ma, and Blacks and Hispanics were est recesses of the lung, but also than average levels of air pollution, more likely to visit for treatment. can disrupt cellular processes. Re- both indoors and outside. Studies in During the year, 20.7% of children search from the California Air Re- hundreds of cities in the U.S. and with asthma visit an emergency sources Board shows that each year, around the world show a strong link room or urgent care for asthma, and air pollution leads to 8,800 prema- between elevated particulate levels young children were more likely to ture deaths, 7,700 hospitalizations, and premature deaths, hospital ad- visit than older children and adults. 210,000 respiratory illnesses, 1.4 missions, emergency room visits, million lost work days and 4.7 mil- and asthma attacks. San Diego County had 2,087 lion school absences in the state. asthma hospitalizations in 2005. Asthma: Chronic and Deadly The County’s hospitalization rate EHC’s work on land use (cre- is 70 per 100,000 residents. Cen- ating buffers and providing more Asthma is a serious problem in tral and East Region residents have open space), the reduction of die- our society. It kills about 4,000 peo- higher hospitalization rates for asth- sel particulate matter from trucks ple a year and was estimated in 2007 ma, with Blacks more likely to be and ships, and removal of polluting to cost $19.7 billion in medical care hospitalized. Young children, wom- power plants are all measures that and lost time from school and work. en, and the elderly also have higher when successfully implemented will Asthma is the leading chronic child- hospitalization rates for asthma. greatly reduce exposure to air pol- hood illness in the United States and lutants linked to asthma and other the leading cause of school absen- Central Region residents have diseases linked to air toxics. the highest rates of death from asth- 4 TOXINFORMER Winter 2010 The South Bay Power Plant impacts public health, the environment and contributes to unhealthy air quality that plagues our communities. End of the South Bay Power Plant on the horizon ovember 10, 2009 should would no longer be able to operate. A available. have been a landmark day hearing will be scheduled to review for South Bay communi- the issue in March 2010. Cooling that Kills Nties and San Diego Bay. It should have been a day of celebration and “Once again, the Board members In September, the San Diego Re- speeches ushering in a new era of stated clearly that they want to hear gional Water Quality Control Board renewal for the Chula Vista Bay- the issues and evidence about the responded to the demands of EHC front. The South Bay Power Plant power plant. They unanimously vot- and dozens of elected officials, com- operator, the regional water quality