Public Comment

On Tuesday, Dec. 13, a small number of environmental activists from West Berkeley met in a local café for the purpose of taking the next step in putting an end to air pollution in their neighborhood. West Berkeley has long faced various forms of health threat from industry in that area, principally from Hanson Asphalt and Pacific Steel Casting. 

At the meeting, one person reported lead in water that rose up out of his lawn, coating it with a white substance. Another, an engineer, reported that he had in the past measured nickel and manganese levels in the air that were way above EPA health thresholds. Another complained that the soot from Pacific Steel Casting at times is so heavy that it changed the color of her pet cat. The school buses that are garaged on 6th St where Urban Ore used to be are also often coated with soot. They are used that way without being cleaned first, and the children often get this soot on themselves. The steeple at St. Ambrose Church is being rented to ATT to put in a cell phone antenna. The church people know of the health risks of cell phone antennas. Residents have been fighting against the installation of these antennas in Berkeley for years. The antennas are being installed anyway. 

Another person reported walking her dog at midnight, and being seriously affected by malodorous gases coming from Pacific Steel Casting. She reported it to the Air Quality Control Board. When an agent from the Board phoned her about her complaint, he had already contacted Pacific Steel Casting, and they had said that no gases had been released that night, thus discounting her report. The gathering expressed the need for a reliable pollution reporting mechanism. 

An important issue raised was the proximity of elementary and middle schools to the sources of these noxious gases. It was mentioned that a number of schools in Berkeley are closer to air pollution sources than any other schools in the state. The Duck’s Nest Preschool is one block down wind from Pacific Steel. On this score, it was also mentioned that the new Whole Foods store on Gilman is itself in a toxic zone. 

This group is going to go to city council on Tuesday (1/20) to make two major demands. First, that a system of air quality monitors be installed along 6th St., to curtail industry denials, and provide real data concerning industry violations of standards. And second, that a public hearing be called to investigate whether Hanson Asphalt has complied with the conditions of a court decree of 1999. At that time, a Nuisance Suit was filed against Hanson (then Berkeley Asphalt) for unhealthy effluents, bad odors, and the use of toxic odor-disguising chemicals. The suit was dropped when a consent decree was reached that established a list of required mitigations for continuation of the company’s Land Use Permit. These mitigations have to do with the company’s truck traffic, dust production, odors, noise, etc. Those present at the meeting reported that Hanson has not complied with those mitigations. A public hearing would bring the situation to public attention, determine the degree to which the company had complied with the court settlement, and establish the need for some kind of rectification to the extent it had not. 

All who want to add their voice to this campaign should join these people at the council meeting on Tueday. 

A number of interesting issues were raised during the meeting. One was the use by industry of odor-disguising chemicals. They do not rectify the emission of toxic fumes, but simply cover it up. In many cases, they even add toxicity to the fumes emitted. Both Hanson Asphalt and Pacific Steel Casting have been reported to have used odor-disguising chemicals, rather than clean up the waste gases they produce. 

In another item of discussion, it was noted that Pacific Steel Casting had recently been purchased by an equity firm. They seem to be planning on "flipping" the property – that is, it was purchased on speculation. The new owner may put in exhaust gas scrubbers because it will increase the value of the property for resale. In those terms, the cynical conclusion seems to be the most realistic, that environmental protection and resident health concerns will be considered only if made profitable, and that will occur only in the event that the property becomes an object of speculation. 

Finally, the issue of the toxicity of electromagnetic radiation (EMF – now known as "electrosmog") was also raised, as another form of environmental pollution. EMF is emitted by cell phones, cell phone towers, and Smartmeters, among other things. Where noxious gases and odors are perceptible, the toxicity of EMF is not. Nevertheless, it pollutes the environment, and creates serious health problems for many people. The gathering recognized the conjunction between these forms of pollution but decided to focus primarily on the issues of air pollution by Hanson Asphalt and Pacific Steel Casting.