Healthy Indoors Magazine - USA Edition

HI September 2021- USA Edition

Healthy Indoors Magazine

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46 | September 2021 connected to the Clean Air Act. The bottom line became most ap- parent in the "Census Block Group EJ Indexes." The Air Toxics Cancer Risk is at the 95th percentile. The Air Tox- ics Respiratory Hazard Index is at the 92nd percentile. Currently, NRG Energy is proposing a new fracked gas power plant in Asto- ria, Queens. New Yorkers are rallying to submit comments against the plan. A look at the neighborhood map shows that there are already three combustion power plants in the 80-89th national percentile, with numerous indexes over the 80th percentile. As the Biden administration contin- ues its efforts to address environmen- tal injustices, this EPA tool can help families understand where there are sources of pollution from power plants in their communities. Tell Congress: An American Jobs Plan Will Lead Us to Climate Safety I looked at individual filters, and the results were pretty much what I expected. The total population within three miles is 29,745, and of that num- ber, people of color reached the 89th percentile. The national percentile for people under age five is the 66th per- centile. Less than a high school edu- cation is in the 88th percentile. Low income is 83rd percentile. There are links to more detailed material on each plant, so I checked out the facility's Compliance record. In February 2020, they had "High Priority Violation" status (80-89 percent). From zero to 79 per- cent is in four groups demarcated by tonalities of gray. To the left of the map, fuel types are broken down: • Biomass • Coal • Gas • Oil • Other fossil fuels Beyond the six previously noted, the filters below include specific emis- sion types: SO 2 , NOX, CO 2 and PM2.5. These subsets are explorable on a sliding scale format, from minimum to maximum (0-100). Four squares in the upper right- hand corner display graphics to short cuts. The magnifying glass is a way to search for an address or place. The House icon brings you back to the home screen. The box third from the left rep- resents the different layers available to search: Emission types; Fuel types; Combustion power plants; Census block groups; Tribal areas. The remaining square gives ac- cess to various "Basemaps" ranging from satellite imagery to highway and street-level observations. I did a complete search on Port Ar- thur, Texas, which I have previously writ- ten about. The facility that I focused on was the one run by Motiva Enterprises. (While looking at the stats, I also did an online search for the company, which brought me to a 2013 article in the New York Times, "Texas Refinery Is Saudi Foothold in U.S. Market.")

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