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Agency relaxes rules for power plants - Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Local air-quality officials have adopted new rules that could accelerate the construction of new power plants in the region. The board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District on Friday amended a rule to temporarily allow power plant developers to buy emission-reduction credits to offset pollution released by their facilities.
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No construction team that work on Barton Rd without being reported or their picture taken with dust. The construction company that store their material on the lot to the east stir up dust everyday and it blows into the senior retirement apartments.
Curbing Pollution10:00
PM PDT on Monday, August 6, 2007
CASSIE MACDUFF
Four recent health studies have pointed to particulate pollution as the culprit in higher rates of heart disease and lung disease.This has made me, shall I say, sensitized to the amount of dust and diesel soot one is exposed to daily in the Inland Empire.
Everyone's supposed to help keep the dust and air pollution down.
That's why, for example, developers must control "fugitive dust" by watering when they grade for housing tracts, retail centers and other projects.That's why the South Coast Air Quality Management District has standards for dust control, even on public projects such as freeway construction.
You wouldn't expect to see any responsible government agency or private company openly flouting regulations meant to safeguard everyone's health.
So why was a San Bernardino city street sweeper brushing its way down E Street one morning in June without sprinkling water, stirring up a cloud of dust that enveloped it like Pigpen in the Peanuts comic strip?
Why was a Jack's Disposal garbage truck roaring down California Avenue in Redlands the morning of June 15 with its load uncovered, leaving a trail of dust and debris like Hansel and Gretel sprinkling bread crumbs in the forest?
Why was a Robertson's Ready Mix gravel truck rumbling down Interstate 10 between Redlands and San Bernardino the morning of July 20 spewing dirt and dust from an uncovered load?
Why was a Mac Tools truck idling its diesel engine for more than half an hour in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in San Bernardino on June 15 with nobody apparently inside?
I made a few calls to find out; here's what I learned:
The street sweeper should not have been sweeping without watering, said Ken Fischer, San Bernardino's director of public services. "They're supposed to use water at all times."The gravel-mining company doesn't cover loads because it doesn't have to, said Mike Sercl, Robertson's transportation supervisor. "None of our loads are required by law to be covered so we don't cover any of them.
"Not quite, said CHP Sgt. Jim Fonseca. Loads don't have to be covered if trailers aren't filled higher than 6 inches below the top of the sideboards. But if dust and dirt are blowing out as they go down the road, it's a citable offense."No portion of the load should be leaving the vehicle," Fonseca said.
A Jack's Disposal official didn't get back to me Monday. But the law says all trash-truck loads are supposed to be "totally covered" during transit.
The best news was what I heard from Jacklyn Williams, the owner of the Mac Tools truck, who is converting her diesel engine to run on used vegetable oil from fast-food restaurants.
It will cut diesel consumption 75 percent, said Williams, a 23-year-old UCR grad with a degree in economics.The truck is a mobile store selling auto mechanics' tools, she said, and the engine has to be running to power the lights in the back, where the sales floor is. (The truck only looked empty when I saw it; she was on the sales floor with a customer.)
It would be great if more commercial drivers thought as Williams does.
Each could make a choice to lessen the air pollution harming Inland lungs and hearts.
Cassie MacDuff can be reached at 909-806-3068 or cmacduff@PE.com
