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Recommendation to request City Manager to work with appropriate staff and local air quality regulatory agencies to explore the legality and development of a Municipal Air Particulate Policy with the aim to expand the City's air quality monitoring efforts, to ensure improvements to the well being of our communities concurrent with increasing citywide development.
DISCUSSION
The health impacts of air pollution, specifically particulate matter, are linked to cancer, respiratory and pulmonary disease and early infant death syndrome. In 1997, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), which serves as lead air pollution control agency for Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino Counties, adopted its guiding principles of environmental justice. These principles include the assertions that all communities have the right to live and work in an area free of airborne health risks, and that government is obligated to protect the public health.
Federal, state and local legislation continues to work toward these goals, through the creation of regulatory agencies, public health risk studies, and community air quality monitoring. In addition to numerous environmental initiatives, Long Beach has worked and will continue to work with the SCAQMD to develop new air quality monitoring stations citywide. As we continue to monitor air quality, development in our city continues, particularly in Port-related rail, ship and truck traffic. Air quality impacts from operations at the Long Beach Airport also need to be carefully monitored.
In order to further address potential health impacts, maintain the well being of our communities and expand efforts in the face of continuing development throughout the City, an increase of air quality monitoring efforts is vital. This requires the development of a Municipal Air Particulate Policy that would allow for an expansion of efforts to monitor our Long Beach air as our City is further developed. This Municipal Air Particulat...
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