M3.4 Air Pollution

Air pollution is a real problem. I am glad the Clean Air Act of 1970 and other legislation are making moves to reduce air pollution. It is important to be wary of the air quality because when it comes to times such as the fires a few months ago, we can choose to try to stay indoors or use a face mask to prevent pollutants from getting into our system. 

My community score card is completed for the Contra Costa Community. 

The top polluters in our zip code are Shell Oil Productions and Tesoro Refinery which are both located in Martinez, CA. 1% of homes in the county have high risk of lead hazards. A Superfund Site is any land that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and has been identified as the EPA as a site to be cleaned up because it poses environmental/health risk. There are three Superfund Sites in Contra Costa County. It looks like the Superfund Sites listed are the Concord Naval weapon station, a local dump in Antioch, and a canal in Richmond with some industrial developments. Thinking about these locations, it makes sense because of where they are, but the dump in Antioch should be first and foremost removed because it is not necessary for a dump to be located in that area. The Richmond Superfund Site is located around the refineries and other industrial development so those companies need a place for their waste. Overall, the air quality in the Contra Costa County is moderate with only 80 days in the year with good air quality. This number is shocking and makes me wonder if there is anything else legislation can do for us. The county is ranked worst 10% in all US counties. I'm glad I drink only filtered water because the water ranks the worst, yet is not a priority for regulation. Many of the rivers and streams are marked with pesticides, and the lakes/reservoirs have 100% mercury. It looks like in a environmental/social justice scale, Contra Costa Community could do much better in the distribution of toxic chemicals to low-income environments.