M3.4 Air Pollution

M3.4 Air Pollution

·      Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code?

Sacramento, CA

Smog, ozone pollution, and particle pollution from recent wild fires

·      What percent of the homes in your zipcode have lead-based paint?

Information not available in a percentage. It is however important to note North Natomas, CA was established in 1994*

·      Are there Superfund sites in your zip?  (In your BLOG, make sure to tell us what a Superfund Site is)

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund allows, “EPA to clean up contaminated sites. It also forces the parties responsible for the contamination to either perform cleanups or reimburse the government for EPA-led cleanup work.”(EPA, 2019). 

SuperFund sites near me-

Jibboom Junkyard, AeroJet (Sacramento), General Corp (Rancho, Cordova), Frontier Fertilizer Group (Davis)

·      What can you tell us about the Superfund sites that are near where you live?

A 9-acre Junkyard site which was used for metal salvaging of a variety of materials. Scrap metal and debris was disposed on site and transformer oil was poured onto the ground.

·      What did you learn about the air quality in your zipcode?

Sacramento ranks among the top 5 cities in California when it comes to air pollution. Due to the recent catastrophic wild fires and climate change, efforts to improve air quality have been erased within the last two years. 

·      How about the water quality?

Tap water in Sacramento Ca is relatively safe and according to the cityofsacramento.org the water “meets and or exceeds state and federal levels” (CityofSacramento.org,2019). The main water issue that residents face is the exposure of water borne diseases in the American River (mainly e. coli)

·      How did your zipcode fair on a social justice / environmental justice basis?

Sacramento County communities are fairly environmentally just, however Senate Bill 1000 requires the county to create an environmental justice element focused on keeping all Sacramento County communities environmentally safe.

References

(2019, August 22). Superfund Sites in Reuse in California. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/superfund-redevelopment-initiative/superfund-sites-reuse-california

(n.d.). Water Quality Data Portal - City of Sacramento. Retrieved from https://www.cityofsacramento.org/Utilities/Water/Water-Quality/Data-Portal#/