By Martin Rubin Director of Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution West Los Angeles
As a member, representing community interests, of the Advisory Planning Committee for the SCAQMD General Aviation Airport Study now under way around Santa Monica Airport, I want to clarify what the study will do and what it won’t do. First and foremost, the data that will be collected from the monitors set up at a number of locations on and around the Santa Monica Airport will be used to compare the air in the vicinity of the airport to the air in the entire region.
Sample times will vary to try and capture some of what the surrounding communities in Los Angeles and Santa Monica are concerned about, that is, the emissions that smell of jet kerosene. But the study protocol will not separate jet kerosene from automobile gasoline and therefore cannot come to conclusions.
The study is not meant to address health risks. My efforts on this committee led to an add-on study of ultra fine particles. However, there are no standards for ultra fine particles and there won’t be for at least several more years. This AQMD study will not address the odors the community is concerned about. For the city of Santa Monica to insist that this study will give us definitive answers to all our questions makes one wonder where they are getting their information. Though the study will not yield definite answers, it may or may not show some red flag warnings. However, to all who live and breathe these disgusting fumes and who suffer from throat and bronchial irritations and infections and much more; to those who are concerned about their children’s health and bring them inside often to protect them; to all who can’t do outdoor things like use their patios for garden parties, barbecues, or just to sit and relax, it is draconian to ask them to wait so many more years to possibly get an idea of pollution impacts from the idling jets.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 24, 2006. Read the original PDF.