U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND AIR POLLUTION

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently gave an opportunity to testify on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter (PM). The new standards that is long over due. The last time some standards were set was in 1997. The proposed revisions to NAAQS for Particulate Matter address two categories of particulates: fine particles, or PM 2.5 that are 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller and inhalable coarse particles or PM 10 that are smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter but larger than PM 2.5. I was given a time slot to speak for 5 minutes around 12 noon at the Marriott Courtyard situated in San Francisco at 299 2nd Street on March 8, 2006. John Hannon with the Office of General Counsel, Susan Stone with the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards' Ambient Group and Tim Hanley with the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards' Ambient Air Monitoring Group heard hundreds testify in pairs of two and set a panel. At the end The news standards should have come into force every 5 years but the EPA has been slow to bring about changes and the Nation has failed the constituents of the United States and world citizens by contributing to Global Warming. California as a whole has some standards but here in San Francisco we should be ashamed of ourselves. Particulate Matter contribute to health problems and it is really the duty of the EPA to safeguard and protect the health of the people but as so many scientific studies have shown the EPA has failed miserably. The White House under the current administration has made a laughing stock of the stand they have taken not to adhere to International Treaties regarding Global Warming and related matters. Listening to the scientists, the doctors, the experts, the advocates, the environmentalist, even a child testifying the consensus was that something has to be done to stop the harm being done to human being and other life forms. The EPA must issue final standards by September 27, 2006 and the testimony hopefully will attain some excellent mandates. Closer to home the Mirant power plants continues to pollute the air with PM-10 and 40 other toxins. The Hunters Point power plant is slated to closed in June 2006. For over 60 years it has polluted and there has been little mitigation. We have concrete and aggregate plants that pollute, the Darling Tallow Plant that spew particulates and foul smell, the Phelps Raw Sewage Treatment Plant under the management of Susan Leal who works for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and is no good. Susan Leal, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Barbara Hale and Karen Kubick all that work for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) are determined to place 3 Combustion Turbines that will spew the dangerous small particulates - PM 2.5 in the air and kill innocent constituents. We can set the best standards but it is enforcement that matter and here the City and County of San Francisco has failed us. San Francisco is not a Green City as long as we clear cut thousands of trees and encourage the use of fossil fuel and dangerous Combustion Turbines when we can do without them. Our City of San Francisco has not cared to address the millions of vehicles that spew dangerous particulates and other toxins by road side and closer to homes where innocent people inhale particulates and some of them die very painful deaths. In the Southeast Sector we have had infants dying and this is a crime crying to heaven for justice. Those with intent that permit the pollution have to answer to a higher authority. I have been stating this fact for many years and this cry of mine and pleas will continue. Well, I testified before the EPA and will follow by written comments that will not be favorable to Mayor Gavin Newsom and to the City and County of San Francisco. I speak for the First People the Muwekma Ohlone but I also speak for those that trust me and are adversely impacted all over San Francisco and beyond by dangerous particulates. EPA proposes to raise its current standards and I am for raising those standards for population more then 100,000 and those less then 100,000 and 24 hour standards that are dominated by one or more large industrial sources that pullulate with dangerous particulates. Mayor Gavin Newsom is playing with fire and so is Susan Leal the inept and very arrogant Manager of the SFPUC by encouraging fossil fuel Combustion Turbines.

Dr. Kent Bransford - Noble Prize Winner Testifying.

A young boy David testifying before EPA.


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