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Air Pollution

  • Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code?
    In terms of air releases, in 2002, my county ranked among the dirtier 30% of all counties in the U.S. The top 10 polluters in my community were:
    1.     Posdef Power Co. L.P.
    2.     Dow Chemical
    3.     Stockton Cogen Co.
    4.     Silgan Containers MFG. Corp.
    5.     Star Buildings Systems
    6.     J.R. Simplot Company
    7.     Silgan Containers Lodi MFG. Corp.
    8.     Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.  Plant #22
    9.     Canadaigua Wine Co. Inc.
    10. Equilon Stockton Terminal
    What percent of homes in your zip code have lead-based paint?
    2% of homes in my county have lead-based point. In my opinion, this is a very low percentage.
    Are there superfund sites in your zip? What is a superfund site?
    A superfund site is a site that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and is identified by the EPA as a candidate for clean up due to the risk that it poses to human health and/or the environment.  There are 3 superfund sites in my community and they are:
    1.     McCormick & Baxter Creosoting Co.
    2.     Sharpe Army Depot
    3.     Tracy Defense Depot (US Army)
    What can you tell us about the superfund sites that are near where you live?
     McCormick & Baxter Creosoting Co. is a former wood preserving facility. Sharpe Army Depot is a Defense Logistics Agency that provides maintenance of aircraft, vehicles, industrial equipment and medical equipment which has produced a variety of chemical wastes. Tracy Defense Depot operations consist of repacking leaking chemical containers, fumigating shipping materials, maintaining vehicles, painting, storing chemicals, preserving metal parts, operating chemical and photographic laboratories, storing and mixing pesticides, and storing and treating liquid and solid wastes.

    What did you learn about the air quality in your zip code?
    I was stunned to learn that in 1999, in terms of pm-2.5 emissions, my community ranked among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the U.S. Also, based on the EPA’s most current data, my community ranked among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the U.S in terms of an average individuals added cancer risk from hazardous air pollutants. Community environmental health specialists should work towards removing these air pollutants or work with policy makers on making stricter guidelines and policies that enforce prohibition of air pollutants that may pose health risks to community members.
    How about the water quality?
    Unfortunately, my county ranked in the dirtiest/worst counties for percentage (17%) of surface waters with impaired or threatened uses. For number of impaired waterbodies, we have a total of 15 and ranked in the national average. I learned about our water sheds which are:
    ·      Lower Caleveras-Mormon Slough
    ·      Lower-Consumnes-Lower Mokelumne
    ·      Middle San Joaquin-Lower
    ·      San Joaquin Delta
     How did your zip code fair on a social justice/environmental justice bases?

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