Index of SPPS Budget Discussion http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/spps-posts.html _________________________________________ Now, we must all place our hands together and send our thanks to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which has notified us with increasing frequency these last few years that the air over Minnesota and the Twin Cities will not sustain life when the index exceeds levels above 90-100.
They warn us the air is not good for those of us with respiratory ailments (that would be something in the neighborhood of half the urban population - a 600% increase in pediatric asthma alone in recent years) and that we should closet ourselves from the outdoors - as if that does any good with fine particulates flying through every nook and crevice in our houses and apartments. This, of course, is the same agency that refuses to deny permits to or revoke them from corporations that continue to pollute the air they then warn us not to breathe. This is the agency that refuses to characterize the chemicals they've allowed corporations to pour into the air they warn us not to breathe. This is the agency that even refuses to insist that corporate applicants for pollution permits prove that they'll not exceed EPA or health standards for emissions they warn us not to breathe. This is the agency that ignores pleas from citizens suffering from the air they tell us not to breathe to help citizens stop the polluters from making them sick and are even prepared, despite a complete record of abuse and noncompliance with such permits to refuse their renewal. This is the agency that makes a mockery of "citizen input" by standing in front of 300 victims of the serious polluting Gopher State Ethanol and playing footsie with hurtin' folks and pretending they're listening to objections to renewing a permit the agency has every intention of renewing no matter what the complaints. Then they hit the airwaves and cyberspace warning us not to breathe the air they allow to be bad enough to hide from. So, a round of applause for these warnings the MPCA is so eager to issue as a public service ---- and a major razzberry to that same public agency which refuses to serve its public mandate: to protect the public health - not corporate profits. May they do their job and never again need to issue air quality warnings because they didn't. Andy Driscoll Crocus Hill Saint Paul 651-293-9039 > From: "Helgesen, Becky" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 14:08:37 -0600 > To: "AIR POLLUTION HEALTH ALERT (E-mail)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: "All Staff-MOEA" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "All Staff-PCA" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "(KSTP-TV) Dave Dahl Weather (E-mail)" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "(WCCO TV) Paul Douglas (E-mail)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Nat. Weather Serv--Chanhassen Craig Edwards (E-mail)" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Weekend air quality alert for much of Minnesota > > Friday, February 27, 2004 > > The MPCA has issued an Air Quality Alert for late today and the rest of the > weekend. Air monitors in the Twin Cities, Duluth, Rochester and St. Cloud > indicate a rising concentration of fine particles or soot in the air. > > Air Quality Index (AQI): the AQI has been hovering around 90 for the past day > or two, but is forecast to rise above 100 by Saturday, and not drop until late > Sunday. An AQI of 100 or above indicates air quality that is unhealthy for > sensitive groups, which include athletes, children, older adults and those > with heart and respiratory conditions. People with heart conditions are > especially vulnerable to fine particle pollution. > > Health precautions: "Sensitive" groups include those with heart or lung > disease (including asthma), adults over 50, and healthy adults and children > engaged in vigorous exercise where they breathe deeply. These individuals > should postpone or reduce heavy exertion (play shorter games, walk instead of > run, rotate players more frequently, etc.) > > What you can do: > * reduce driving where possible and don't idle your engine in parking lots and > drive-throughs this weekend; vehicle exhaust contains fine particles > * postpone activities with small gasoline or diesel engines > * postpone fires in your fireplace, which add soot particles to the air > > To learn more or check hourly updates of the AQI, visit: > http://aqi.pca.state.mn.us/hourly > > For additiional information on reducing air pollution, visit Clean Air > Minnesota at: > http://www.mn-ei.org/air/resources.html#FactSheets > > > _____________________________________________ SPPS Budget Reduction Forum - Feb. 23-27 Co-Sponsored By NEAT: http://www.stpaulneat.org/ _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
