TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney prepare resolution in support of the Teachers Association of Long Beach Declaration regarding Air Quality at Westside Schools; and direct City Manager to initiate meetings with the Long Beach Unified School District for the purposes of addressing student and teacher safety issues relative to air quality and to relate the City's responses on the Port of Los Angeles SCIG project to the LBUSD.
DISCUSSION
West Long Beach is home to seven schools, three parks, and senior housing facilities that service our very young and the elderly residents, defined in environmental terms as sensitive receptors, who live and work in the area. The air quality in West Long Beach has been identified as an area of concern for the
South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and environmental agencies. The Port of Los Angeles Notice of Preparation (NOD) for the Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) project cites this area is currently in “extreme non-attainment” and additional pollutants would violate existing air
quality standards. The NOD states, “These increased emissions might conflict with implementation of the applicable AQMD Air Quality Attainment Plan.”
The Teachers Association of Long Beach (TALB) recently adopted a Declaration to request that the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) immediately investigate and redress the health issues faced by teachers and their students who work at schools adjacent to the 710 freeway. The City
Council needs to support the TALB efforts to engage the school district on teacher and student safety issues. The City should also work with TALB and the LBUSD to address common concerns relative to the proposed SCIG. Additionally, the City of Long Beach, the LBUSD, and TALB should work together
and with other agencies to improve air quality by cooperating and coordinating on programs or projects, such as the AQMD Rule 1173 Mitigation Fee program, that would directly benefit our sc...
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