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E N V I R O N M E N T A L G R O U P W O R K I N G

EWG Policy Memorandum

TM

Environmental Working Group

June 4, 1997

Contacts: Bill Walker (415) 561-6598 Richard Wiles (202) 667-6982

100,000 California Kids Breathe Unhealthy Air at School

Summary Approximately 109,000 children in California breathe unhealthy air at school, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) computer analysis. These children attend one of the 147 schools in the state located in areas where monitored air pollution levels exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys proposed new standards for microscopic toxic airborne particles. The Particulates Problem The EPA estimates that fine particulate air pollution is responsible for the premature death from heart and lung disease of 35,000 people in the United States each year. The EPA has proposed new standards that would roughly cut in half the amount of particles permitted in air. These proposed standards would prevent an estimated 2,500 premature deaths a year in California. However, the California Air Resources Board has recommended stronger standards, which could prevent an additional 3,000 to 4,000 premature deaths per year statewide. On May 29, EWG released a national report, based on air pollution data from California and other states, showing that the worst industrial sources of particulate pollution are oil and gas refineries, chemical plants, pulp and paper mills and electric utilities. (Smokestacks and Smoke Screens: Big Money, Big Polluters and the Fight for Cleaner Air.) In California, the largest industrial emitters of particulate pollution include such petrochemical corporations as Exxon, Chevron, Shell, Arco and Mobil, as well as Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric. Kids On the Front Line Both California and national air pollution standards are currently based on exposure limits necessary to protect the average person in the population. But these standards may be inadequate to protect children. Not only are childrens systems most often more vulnerable to lower levels of toxins than adults, but kids spend considerably more time out of doors at play and at school where they are more likely to breathe airborne pollutants. more
EWG California P.O. Box 29034 San Francisco, CA 94129 (415) 561-6598 Fax (415) 561-6480 info@ewg.org www.ewg.org

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Environmental Working Group

To determine how many California children are exposed to unhealthy air at school, EWG first identified all air pollution monitors in the state where levels of airborne particles exceeded EPAs proposed standards for the particles known as PM-2.5 annual exposure to no more than 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air. (PM-2.5 particles are those that are 2.5 microns or smaller. A micron is 1 millionth of a meter, or about oneseventieth the size of a human hair.) We then identified, from state Department of Education data, all schools located within one mile of these monitors. The attached table list alphabetically, city-by-city, the 147 schools, the number of students who attend, the distance from the monitor, and the levels of particulate pollution recorded by the monitors. (Note than several schools in the same city may share proximity to a single monitor.) Measured by exposure level, students in Calexico, Imperial County, are most at risk. Both Jefferson Elementary School and Calexico High School are within one-half mile of a monitor that recorded particulate levels of 36.6 micrograms well over twice the EPAs proposed standard. Of the states larger cities, seven schools in Riverside were near a monitor that recorded particulate levels of 27.9 micrograms. Bakersfield had 15 schools near monitors detecting 19 or more micrograms, Burbank had nine schools near sites detecting 18 or micrograms, and Fresno had eight schools near monitoring sites detecting 18 or more micrograms. It is important to note what these data do not show. Because air monitors are relatively few and far between, the actual number of children who attend school near a major source of particulate pollution may be significantly greater than 109,000. (If schools within two miles of a monitor that exceeds the proposed standard are counted, 461 schools with almost 325,000 students are affected.) Also, these data deal with pollutants detected at the site of the monitors, which measure emissions from auto exhaust as well as industrial emissions. While the air in Southern California and the Central Valley contains higher levels of total particulates, oil and chemical refineries in the East Bay top the list of industrial sources of particulate pollution in the state. Conclusion and Recommendations These findings show clearly that thousands of children in California are exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution while at school. They point to the need for development and implementation of environmental health standards based on exposure limits necessary to protect children and other highly vulnerable populations. Assembly Bill 278 would help address this problem. Among other provisions, the bill would require that the Air Resources Board conduct air pollution monitoring at selected schools and daycare centers in order to better evaluate childrens exposure; require major toxics facilities within one mile of a school to implement pollution reduction plans; require notification of schools and daycare centers in the South Coast air district when air quality standards are violated or expected to be violated.

California schools within 1 mile of an air pollution monitor that exceeds the EPA proposed fine particle standard
School BALL JUNIOR HIGH CALVARY CHAPEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY GRACE LUTHERAN PARISH ELEM. JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY LOARA HIGH REVERE ELEMENTARY ROSS ELEMENTARY HODGE (VICTOR F.) ELEMENTARY LONGFELLOW ELEMENTARY MOUNTAIN VIEW ELEMENTARY SLAUSON INTERMEDIATE BAKERSFIELD HIGH CURRAN JUNIOR HIGH FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY HARRIS (CAROLINE) ELEMENTARY HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY HILLS (STELLA I.) ELEMENTARY LONGFELLOW ELEMENTARY MANOR HEIGHTS CHRISTIAN MUNSEY ELEMENTARY NORTH HIGH ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY ST. FRANCIS STOCKDALE CHRISTIAN ELEM. SUNRISE CHRISTIAN ELEM. WILLIAM PENN ELEMENTARY DESERT VALLEY HIGH (CONT.) SACRED HEART ELEM. WORTH (BARBARA) JUNIOR HIGH BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON HIGH BURBANK FOURSQUARE CHURCH BURBANK HIGH BURROUGHS HIGH DISNEY (WALT) ELEMENTARY EDISON (THOMAS) ELEMENTARY JORDAN (DAVID STARR) MIDDLE MCKINLEY (WILLIAM) ELEMENTARY ST. ROBERT BELLARMINE ELEM. City ANAHEIM ANAHEIM ANAHEIM ANAHEIM ANAHEIM ANAHEIM ANAHEIM ANAHEIM AZUSA AZUSA AZUSA AZUSA BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BAKERSFIELD BRAWLEY BRAWLEY BRAWLEY BURBANK BURBANK BURBANK BURBANK BURBANK BURBANK BURBANK BURBANK BURBANK Enrollment 1,112 34 833 56 813 1,877 970 626 506 339 494 854 2,946 848 594 807 635 647 736 73 739 1,887 737 444 521 244 417 105 142 877 620 14 1,950 1,745 387 538 774 599 309 Miles from Monitor 0.54 0.69 0.54 0.43 0.73 0.68 0.67 0.90 0.58 0.84 0.86 0.84 0.47 0.84 0.42 0.68 0.45 0.64 0.90 0.34 0.56 0.95 0.70 0.67 0.67 0.97 0.72 0.45 0.25 0.29 0.82 0.81 0.81 0.73 0.29 0.97 0.85 0.79 0.87 PM 2.5 Average 17.7 17.7 17.7 17.7 17.7 17.7 17.7 17.7 18.6 18.6 18.6 18.6 25.4 19.2 25.4 19.2 19.1 23.6 23.6 19.1 19.2 19.1 19.2 19.2 19.2 19.2 25.4 22.4 22.4 22.4 18.4 18.4 18.4 18.4 18.4 18.4 18.4 18.4 18.4

California schools within 1 mile of an air pollution monitor that exceeds the EPA proposed fine particle standard
School AURORA HIGH (CONT.) CALEXICO HIGH DE ANZA JUNIOR HIGH DOOL ELEMENTARY JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY MAINS ELEMENTARY MORENO (WILLIAM) JUNIOR HIGH ROCKWOOD ELEMENTARY VINCENT MEMORIAL HIGH BUCHANAN HIGH COLE ELEMENTARY SIERRA VISTA ELEMENTARY VALLEY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY WELDON ELEMENTARY CENTRAL HIGH GRACE LUTHERAN HARDING ELEMENTARY HEDRICK (MARGARET) ELEMENTARY KENNEDY MIDDLE LINCOLN ELEMENTARY MCKINLEY ELEMENTARY ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC ELEM. WILSON JUNIOR HIGH BELLA VISTA HIGH EL SERENO ALTERNATIVE EDUC. (ALTERN.) NORTHRIDGE ELEMENTARY ROBERTS ELEMENTARY AYNESWORTH ELEMENTARY BALDERAS (EZEKIEL) ELEMENTARY BIRNEY ELEMENTARY CALWA ELEMENTARY CENTENNIAL ELEMENTARY KEYLIFE CHRISTIAN PYLE ELEMENTARY WISHON ELEMENTARY LINCOLN ELEMENTARY ANZA (JUAN DE) ELEMENTARY DANA (RICHARD HENRY) ELEMENTAR EUCALYPTUS ELEMENTARY City CALEXICO CALEXICO CALEXICO CALEXICO CALEXICO CALEXICO CALEXICO CALEXICO CALEXICO CLOVIS CLOVIS CLOVIS CLOVIS CLOVIS EL CENTRO EL CENTRO EL CENTRO EL CENTRO EL CENTRO EL CENTRO EL CENTRO EL CENTRO EL CENTRO FAIR OAKS FAIR OAKS FAIR OAKS FAIR OAKS FRESNO FRESNO FRESNO FRESNO FRESNO FRESNO FRESNO FRESNO HANFORD HAWTHORNE HAWTHORNE HAWTHORNE Enrollment 159 1,541 980 684 609 551 766 622 229 2,212 818 640 149 791 2,861 70 639 760 549 705 561 268 965 1,624 393 422 436 928 1,087 916 914 834 10 758 785 588 459 481 1,135 Miles from Monitor 0.60 0.18 0.59 0.96 0.33 0.39 0.74 0.46 0.25 0.64 0.53 0.86 0.59 0.96 0.17 0.31 0.61 0.71 0.52 0.24 0.76 0.76 0.17 0.21 0.21 0.61 0.89 0.56 0.84 0.26 0.60 0.88 0.64 0.84 0.84 0.09 0.49 0.73 0.80 PM 2.5 Average 29.0 36.6 29.0 29.0 36.6 29.0 29.0 29.0 29.0 17.7 17.7 17.7 17.7 17.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 16.5 16.5 16.5 16.5 22.0 22.0 18.2 22.0 18.2 18.2 18.2 18.2 28.0 16.3 16.3 16.3

California schools within 1 mile of an air pollution monitor that exceeds the EPA proposed fine particle standard
School INDIO MIDDLE JEFFERSON (THOMAS) MIDDLE PALM DESERT HIGH BUFORD ELEMENTARY FELTON ELEMENTARY LENNOX MIDDLE BURROUGHS ELEMENTARY HUGHES MIDDLE LONG BEACH BRETHREN ELEM. LONGFELLOW ELEMENTARY LOS CERRITOS ELEMENTARY RAINBOW CHRISTIAN ACADEMY ST. BARNABAS ELEM. ANN STREET ELEMENTARY CASTELAR STREET ELEMENTARY DOWNTOWN BUSINESS HIGH LOS ANGELES UNIFIED ALTERNATIVE PLASENCIA (BETTY) ELEMENTARY SOLANO AVENUE ELEMENTARY KING (MARTIN LUTHER JR.) MIDDLE MILLVIEW ELEMENTARY SIERRA VISTA ELEMENTARY FREMONT (JOHN) ELEMENTARY GRACEY (LEONTINE) ELEMENTARY SHEEHY (MARGARET) ELEMENTARY TENAYA MIDDLE ENSLEN ELEMENTARY HOPE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY SMALL WORLD CHRISTIAN ELEM. WILSON ELEMENTARY CARNEGIE (ANDREW) MIDDLE PARK AVENUE ELEMENTARY REDEEMER CHRISTIAN SANDERS (NAN) ELEMENTARY ST. JAMES ELEM. TEMPLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS CITRUS GROVE CHRISTIAN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY HOPE CHRISTIAN ELEM. City INDIO INDIO INDIO LENNOX LENNOX LENNOX LONG BEACH LONG BEACH LONG BEACH LONG BEACH LONG BEACH LONG BEACH LONG BEACH LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES MADERA MADERA MADERA MERCED MERCED MERCED MERCED MODESTO MODESTO MODESTO MODESTO ORANGEVALE PERRIS PERRIS PERRIS PERRIS PERRIS REDLANDS REDLANDS REDLANDS Enrollment 1,003 614 1,912 785 757 1,772 313 1,411 267 810 383 25 283 288 1,073 906 2,231 1,572 235 0 887 821 603 881 563 1,023 417 26 75 426 930 621 38 866 309 194 16 958 63 Miles from Monitor 0.66 0.66 0.66 0.50 0.76 0.48 0.90 0.57 0.17 0.45 0.64 0.57 0.86 0.74 0.25 0.71 0.47 0.79 0.85 0.41 0.99 0.64 0.90 0.25 0.41 0.56 0.50 0.57 0.82 0.99 0.96 0.75 0.97 0.73 0.87 0.99 0.47 0.71 0.44 PM 2.5 Average 20.7 20.7 20.7 16.3 16.3 16.3 17.2 17.2 17.2 17.2 17.2 17.2 17.2 19.8 19.8 19.8 19.8 19.8 19.8 18.0 18.0 18.0 17.6 17.6 17.6 17.6 17.4 17.4 17.4 17.4 16.5 20.0 20.0 20.0 20.0 20.0 19.4 19.4 19.4

California schools within 1 mile of an air pollution monitor that exceeds the EPA proposed fine particle standard
School REDLANDS CHRISTIAN REDLANDS SENIOR HIGH TEMPLE BAPTIST ELEM. MISSION MIDDLE NUEVA VISTA CONTINUATION HIGH RIO VISTA HIGH RUBIDOUX HIGH RUSTIC LANE ELEMENTARY SUNNYSLOPE CHRISTIAN SUNNYSLOPE ELEMENTARY MONTEREY ELEMENTARY SIERRA HIGH (CONT.) PERKINS ELEMENTARY SHERMAN ELEMENTARY SAMUEL HANCOCK CHRISTIAN ST. GERTRUDE GLENSHIRE ELEMENTARY SACRED HEART ELEM. TURLOCK HIGH WAKEFIELD ELEMENTARY CHRISTIAN COVENANT ACADEMY CONYER ELEMENTARY GRACE LUTHERAN HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY MINERAL KING ELEMENTARY MT. WHITNEY HIGH PATHFINDER CHRISTIAN ELEM. PRAISE ALTERNATIVE CHRISTIAN EDUCATION REDWOOD HIGH WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY City REDLANDS REDLANDS REDLANDS RIVERSIDE RIVERSIDE RIVERSIDE RIVERSIDE RIVERSIDE RIVERSIDE RIVERSIDE SAN BERNARDINO SAN BERNARDINO SAN DIEGO SAN DIEGO STOCKTON STOCKTON TRUCKEE TURLOCK TURLOCK TURLOCK VICTORVILLE VISALIA VISALIA VISALIA VISALIA VISALIA VISALIA VISALIA VISALIA VISALIA Enrollment 313 4,701 101 1,313 284 38 1,995 639 6 689 688 411 590 1,068 28 199 0 278 3,330 784 16 567 127 528 821 1,956 54 8 1,962 422 Miles from Monitor 0.91 0.56 0.84 0.77 0.48 0.48 0.78 0.43 0.54 0.74 0.29 0.90 0.64 0.66 0.34 0.33 0.68 0.86 0.67 0.97 0.71 0.93 0.97 0.55 0.73 0.87 0.89 0.28 0.66 0.55 PM 2.5 Average 19.4 19.4 19.4 27.9 27.9 27.9 27.9 27.9 27.9 27.9 23.1 23.1 15.5 15.5 16.1 16.1 21.2 18.2 18.2 18.2 16.2 21.1 21.1 21.1 21.1 21.1 21.1 21.1 21.1 21.1