Beware Polluted Air

[larrynz]

www.telegram.com:80/article/20070629/NEWS/706290650/1008/NEWS02

Areas closest to railroad tracks and highways are most affected by air pollution, said Peggy Middaugh, executive director of the council. That’s something Mr. Downs said his research shows.

Ms. Middaugh said she has a report, for example, from somebody living on Illinois Street in Worcester who said they have to go to their cellar on hot, still summer days because emissions from nearby idling trains make it almost impossible to breathe on the upper floor of their home.

“There is a lot of pollution in the inner city,” Ms. Middaugh said, equating that situation to standing next to a bus on a downtown street.

[the bear]

Breathing in big cities is hazardous to your health. The air is not really air at all. It is a chemical noxious soup of chemicals and pollutants. Wear a mask if possible and see for yourself how bad the air is by the residue on the mask.
While there are over 200 known pollutants the four main ones are
Nitrogen Dioxide (N02) Ozone (O3) Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and Particulate Matter (PM). PM is an umbrella term refering to the deadly mix of dust, acid aerosols,dirt, soil, pollen, mould, ashes and soot.
Does this really make you want to go and play in the traffic???
I think not. bear.

[LindaNY]

When the air is polluted around here, it's very difficult to breathe, and it is difficult to escape it.

Fortunately our weather people put out warnings to people with respiratory problems and children to stay inside or go to an air conditioned mall to get out of it.

[morningstar]

Larry this is really of a interest to me. As I live about the same distance east and west of a busy over crowded high way and the B&O Rail Road with the River just down from it. I have always felt it was harder to breathe here than where I lived as a child. But, I guess over the 35 years we had lived here I didn't pay it much mind anymore. This is also Chemical Valley or that is what it is called. 2 chemical plants, many coal mines 2 steel mills, and glass factories to name a few. So I know it is not as bad as bear talks of I do know a little of what he speaks of there are times here you can not cut the air with a knife . Thank you Larry

One of the plants here called Kramer was just fined for release things in the air. Seems they have a dry scrubber but did not want to use the man hours to run it. Was the story in the paper.There were find Thousand of dollars. But IMO the fine was probably there cheapest was out. Considering wages and insurance for the workers. And of course they run the chance of not getting caught so they took the gamble and in there way of thinking they won big and it went undetected or they got caught and find but still cheaper than paying man hours

[the bear]

Rosemarie; You say you can cut the air with a knife then your air (Chemical poison) is just as bad as anyones. You live there. Why don't you take action and bring attention to exactly what you mentioned. The fact that it is cheaper for the companies to pay the fines than do a proper clean up job. If they had to pay for the health related problems they are causing they would soon change their ways. You have to keep hammering and writing to your government officials, business leaders, and the media.
The wanton destruction of our world just has to stop. If it does'nt we will stop. Dead. bear.

[larrynz]

Some years ago in our paper they printed a map, hot spots for asthma, it coincided with airport locations in all the areas I knew about.
Makes you think about that air quality.

[morningstar]

Bear I am hamming but I am only one. I have since added two that is helping. We also have a dump site here that the trash is hauled from all over to a holler here just outside of town. There is a group of towns people here that have fought that for years. There are many days I can't leave the house because of it. PPG smell so bad but it is like banning you head against a wall. But, know this I will keep a banging and prodding as long as I have breathe.