Professional Documents
Culture Documents
August
22,
2014
Beverly
Banister
Sam
Nunn
Atlanta
Federal
Center
61
Forsyth
Street
SW
Atlanta,
GA
30303-‐8960
Dear
Ms.
Banister,
The
purpose
of
this
letter
is
to
request
additional
air
monitoring
for
the
communities
in
north
Birmingham
including:
Fairmont,
Collegeville,
Harriman
Park,
North
Birmingham
and
Tarrant.
Specifically,
GASP
is
requesting
air
monitoring
of
both
ambient
air
quality
and
fugitive
emissions
from
Drummond’s
ABC
Coke
plant
and
Walter
Energy’s
Walter
Coke
plant
utilizing
the
Differential
Absorption
Lidar
system
referred
to
as
DIAL.
According
to
EPA’s
own
analysis,
the
risk
of
cancer
from
air
toxics
is
significantly
higher
in
the
northern
Birmingham
communities,
warranting
comprehensive
air
monitoring
to
determine
the
extent
of
human
exposure
to
both
hazardous
air
pollutants
and
particulate
pollutants.
In
addition,
ATSDR’s
recent
analysis
states
that
exposure
to
carcinogens
exceeds
EPA’s
acceptable
risk
levels
and
far
exceeds
the
Jefferson
County
Board
of
Health’s
acceptable
risk
levels.
The
two
largest
contributors
of
toxic
air
pollution
according
to
self-‐reported
data
are
ABC
Coke
and
Walter
Coke.
Their
fugitive
emissions
should
be
monitored
directly.
In
partnership
with
the
state
of
New
York,
EPA
required
this
monitoring
of
Tonawanda
Coke,
which
revealed
false
emissions
reporting
and
an
underestimation
of
human
exposure
to
benzene.
We
need
this
testing
in
Jefferson
County,
Alabama.
In
addition
to
lax
or
absent
regulatory
oversight
of
these
industries
surrounded
by
residential
neighborhoods,
there
has
not
been
a
detailed,
health
assessment
of
these
communities.
The
Jefferson
County
Department
of
Health
has
insufficient
data
to
demonstrate
how
decades
of
exposure
to
toxics
and
particulates
have
affected
residents.
The
testimonies
of
chronic
illness
including
cancer,
heart
and
respiratory
diseases
demonstrate
there
is
a
serious
problem.
Houses
and
property
routinely
covered
in
black
soot
are
on
display
daily.
The
suffering
in
north
Birmingham
communities
is
an
environmental
injustice.
Additional
monitoring
is
required
to
reverse
the
disproportionate
burden
of
air
pollution
in
these
communities.
On
a
larger
scale,
Birmingham
has
some
of
the
dirtiest
air
in
the
nation.
Addressing
these
facilities
will
improve
the
air
quality
for
the
entire
region.
Sincerely,
Kirsten
Bryant
Outreach
Director