by Joe Blackburn
Monday, Jan. 28, 2008 at 9:06 AM
joebiodiesel@gmail.net 626-279-7400 PO Box 2543, Venice, CA 90294
A WWII Era Iron Foundry spews Ton of Particulates and Toxic Gases Just Upwind of the Rio Vista School and Headstart Program
El Monte/Arden Village/Rio Vista Call to Action:
After reviewing Gregg Industries absurd ad in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and the Pasadena Star on January 18th, 2008. Gregg’s refusal to acknowledge this gross pollution, prevents them from ever being able to solve it and stop it. Gregg Industries is in denial.
Gregg Industries and their “hired-gun experts” freely talk about “foundry ruined noses.”
And this is what happens to the people that live and work in and near foundries. We smell such awful smells so often, that these awful smells fall into the background, and seem normal. These are not normal odors. Gregg Industries is a long-term chronic noxious toxic problem in our community.
The widely known and highly respected International Agency for Research on Cancer has reported in scientific peer reviewed epidemiological studies that iron foundries like Gregg Industries cause excessive cancer rates in the workers and the surrounding community. Children at the Rio Vista schools have these cancers.
What can we do to stop this pollution? Stand-up and fight.
Can you make a phone call to 1-800-CUT-SMOG (288-7664) whenever you smell this noxious toxic very characteristic smell???
Both, Gregg and the SCAQMD have failed. The toxic noxious nuisance odors and dust continue.
If we had the competent honest inspectors that we had in 2005, we would get the complaints we need to stop this criminal enterprise.
The Gregg Industries Health Risk Assessment (HRA) under AB2588 is still not released after over 11 months review. And, Gregg has still not submitted the required data to complete this review. Gregg invents control efficiency statistics without any scientific citations as to the basis for these assumptions.
Also, this HRA is based on faulty assumptions. 18 people that live directly across the street from Gregg’s main gate on Hickson St. are not even counted as receptors of Gregg’s pollution.
And, a 2004 Source Emissions Test where the test protocol was stopped after only one of the three mandated locations were tested. The sole basis for this bogus HRA.
And Gregg’s many fugitive emissions, that come out everywhere from this decrepit World War II era facility carry the odors into the neighborhood. 13.1 Tons of particulates were emitted in 2004. Itemized as: 10.9 Tons/Yr. PM10 and 8.1 Tons/Yr. PM2.5. And, just who exactly is checking the real-time emissions of this facility??? Absolutely no one.
These particulate dusts of iron, heavy metals and silica are washed into the storm drains from the Tons of particulate matter that Gregg Industries emits every year. We see it on our window sills, porches and cars. And these particulates ruin our lungs! These dusts are very damaging to the health of people that breathe, especially children.