durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
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San Ysidro air quality not to mention wasted gas)
Dangerous Air Quality Found at the San Ysidro Border Crossing
Environment and Resources - Air
Written by Robert Biddle
Monday, 26 September 2011 15:19
The San Ysidro Healthy Borders Project used air-quality monitors to study pollution at the border. People at the border breathe air that is 10
times more polluted than do the people next door in Imperial Beach, which has some of the cleanest air in the county. Concentrations of
carbon monoxide, soot and ultra-fine particulates are three to four times higher at the San Ysidro Port of Entry than they are in areas of the county
that have historically reported the worst air quality.
At various times during 2010, investigators for the San Ysidro Healthy Borders Project strapped scientific equipment to their backs in order to
measure the contents of the air they were breathing throughout the day. During 2008 and 2009, they monitored air quality from similar equipment
installed at fixed points within the transnational area. In order to gauge the psychological cost of standing in line for hours, they also surveyed
pedestrians who were waiting to be admitted into the U.S. The project was designed and conducted as a cooperative study among San Diego State
University’s Graduate School of Public Health, the San Diego Prevention Research Center and Casa Familiar of San Ysidro. A representative from each
entity was delegated to offer a preliminary report of the project’s findings on September 6, 2011, before a permanent committee of the San Diego
Association of Governments (SANDAG).
“Our study showed that the people who cross the border breathe in a lot of poisons harmful to the respiratory systems of both children and adults,”
said David Flores, Casa Familiar’s delegate. “Certainly the greatest impact falls on the pedestrians, who wait in long lines for hours in order to
cross the border, because that’s where all the pollution is. People who live or work close to the port of entry are also affected. Willow School is
only a few yards from the freeway. Sunset School and nearby businesses and shops also suffer direct effects of the pollution.”
Prior medical research has established that levels of carbon monoxide and ultra-fine particulate matter similar to those measured at the San Ysidro
border produce birth defects and cause irreparable damage to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The border area currently lacks an
air-quality standard to regulate the concentrations of these pollutants.
Some of the pollution generated at the border becomes part of the earth’s ozone layer. The Healthy Borders Project found that a vehicle
sitting idle with its motor running puts out three times more greenhouse gases than does a vehicle in motion. The project measured the
emissions from vehicles waiting at the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and Tecate ports of entry between October 2008 and March 2009. They concluded that
approximately 166,000 barrels of oil – enough to supply electricity to 8,664 homes for an entire year – had been burned while waiting in line and some
78,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide had been added to the atmosphere.
Bob Durrell
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18384
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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!!!demanding clean air for baja nomads!!!!
| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Dangerous Air Quality Found at the San Ysidro Border Crossing
Environment and Resources - Air
Written by Robert Biddle
Monday, 26 September 2011 15:19
The San Ysidro Healthy Borders Project used air-quality monitors to study pollution at the border. People at the border breathe air that is 10
times more polluted than do the people next door in Imperial Beach, which has some of the cleanest air in the county. Concentrations of
carbon monoxide, soot and ultra-fine particulates are three to four times higher at the San Ysidro Port of Entry than they are in areas of the county
that have historically reported the worst air quality.
At various times during 2010, investigators for the San Ysidro Healthy Borders Project strapped scientific equipment to their backs in order to
measure the contents of the air they were breathing throughout the day. During 2008 and 2009, they monitored air quality from similar equipment
installed at fixed points within the transnational area. In order to gauge the psychological cost of standing in line for hours, they also surveyed
pedestrians who were waiting to be admitted into the U.S. The project was designed and conducted as a cooperative study among San Diego State
University’s Graduate School of Public Health, the San Diego Prevention Research Center and Casa Familiar of San Ysidro. A representative from each
entity was delegated to offer a preliminary report of the project’s findings on September 6, 2011, before a permanent committee of the San Diego
Association of Governments (SANDAG).
“Our study showed that the people who cross the border breathe in a lot of poisons harmful to the respiratory systems of both children and adults,”
said David Flores, Casa Familiar’s delegate. “Certainly the greatest impact falls on the pedestrians, who wait in long lines for hours in order to
cross the border, because that’s where all the pollution is. People who live or work close to the port of entry are also affected. Willow School is
only a few yards from the freeway. Sunset School and nearby businesses and shops also suffer direct effects of the pollution.”
Prior medical research has established that levels of carbon monoxide and ultra-fine particulate matter similar to those measured at the San Ysidro
border produce birth defects and cause irreparable damage to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The border area currently lacks an
air-quality standard to regulate the concentrations of these pollutants.
Some of the pollution generated at the border becomes part of the earth’s ozone layer. The Healthy Borders Project found that a vehicle
sitting idle with its motor running puts out three times more greenhouse gases than does a vehicle in motion. The project measured the
emissions from vehicles waiting at the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and Tecate ports of entry between October 2008 and March 2009. They concluded that
approximately 166,000 barrels of oil – enough to supply electricity to 8,664 homes for an entire year – had been burned while waiting in line and some
78,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide had been added to the atmosphere. |
The US Dept of Homeland Security knows full well that they are POISONING people waiting in line to cross border. They DON'T CARE! However, they do
pipe fresh air to the inspector's booths so their staff are not poisoned. The government protects their own employees, but refuses to protect the
public by adequately staffing the border xings to stop the inhumane conditions and poisoning of the public.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Emission (SMOG) Testing
Maybe DHS should require Emission Testing of all vehicles entering the US......those that fail get to return to Mexico 
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Rainer
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
Registered: 1-16-2007
Location: Las Cruces, NM
Member Is Offline
Mood: Missing Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Dangerous Air Quality Found at the San Ysidro Border Crossing
The US Dept of Homeland Security knows full well that they are POISONING people waiting in line to cross border. They DON'T CARE! However, they do
pipe fresh air to the inspector's booths so their staff are not poisoned. The government protects their own employees, but refuses to protect the
public by adequately staffing the border xings to stop the inhumane conditions and poisoning of the public. |
You can't compare your once a week (?) crossing to spending 40 to 80 hours a week at that border working under horrible conditions. It's impossible to
supply fresh air to everyone. I think it's just to do so for officers trying to do their job, even if those officers aren't you idea of perfect
officers. Put yourelf in their place---just once. By the way - the enforcement activity is not in place to keep out Mexicans, it's there to keep out
ALL illegal crossers AND contraband. You don't agree--try to go to North Korea![Edited on 3-22-2012 by Rainer]
[Edited on 3-22-2012 by Rainer] |
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: thriving in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
Maybe DHS should require Emission Testing of all vehicles entering the US......those that fail get to return to Mexico |
The CA smog test only measures carbon
monoxide and hydracarbons during a 30 second timeframe. Imagine what the total output of these products is while sitting in line for 3 hours at idle
speed? the pass criteria for hydrocarbon is1.66 ppm maximum during the 30 seconds so that would be a cumulative total of about 186 ppm over 3 hours.
x about 1000 cars in line = 
Bob Durrell
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Don't forget
| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
Maybe DHS should require Emission Testing of all vehicles entering the US......those that fail get to return to Mexico |
The CA smog test only measures carbon
monoxide and hydracarbons during a 30 second timeframe. Imagine what the total output of these products is while sitting in line for 3 hours at idle
speed? the pass criteria for hydrocarbon is1.66 ppm maximum during the 30 seconds so that would be a cumulative total of about 186 ppm over 3 hours.
x about 1000 cars in line = |
Visible smoke...............about half the cars would fail!!!!!
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Sooo..after everyone's done crying about it, waddayagonnado?
I'll tell you what....nothing.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Instead of smiling, I should be coughing!
On my next walking trip through Tijuana, I will carry a gas mask!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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And this was your non Baja vacation???
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
And this was your non Baja vacation??? |
Its all about the economy! 
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