Download Report at: Bucket Brigade Air Samples Results

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release: October 10, 2012

Committee For A Better Arvin, Sal Partida 661-854-7000

Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, Gustavo Aguirre 661-667-0136

Global Community Monitor, Jessica Hendricks 707-980-3816

Arvin Bucket Brigade: Community Recycling A Confirmed Risk for Arvin Residents

ARVIN, CA: Community Recycling and Resource Recovery still has yet to clean up their act, according to community residents and the air samples they have collected over a ten month period.

The Committee for a Better Arvin has been working with The Center for Race Poverty and the Environment and Global Community Monitor on citizen based air monitoring. They have collected seven air samples downwind of Community Recycling between December 2011 and September 2012. Results indicate that harmful toxic emissions are still crossing Community Recycling’s fenceline into the community where residents live, work and play.

“I have been getting debilitating migraines every time I go near the facility.” says Byanka Santoyo from the Committee for a Better Arvin. “Community Recycling is located on a road I need to use every day, it’s not fair to us.”

The seven samples contain three different chemicals that are all above a health based standard, including Hydrogen Sulfide, the same chemical that was the cause of death of the two young workers at the Community Recycling facility last year. On July 17, 2012, Hydrogen Sulfide was detected at levels over four times higher than the California OEHHA reference level for acute exposure and 18 times higher than the California OEHHA reference level for chronic exposure.

Acrylonitrile was also present above a health based standard in two samples and elevated levels of Methylene Chloride were present in one of the samples. The levels of Acrylonitrile found in the sample taken on July 15, 2012 were over three and a half times higher than the California OEHHA reference level for chronic exposure.

According to Dr. Mark Chernaik, “Acrylonitrile and propene are precursors for the synthesis of a variety of compounds. The presence of these substances in a single sample may support the suggestion that materials not associated with genuine compost, such as plastics, are releasing gases beyond the facility fenceline, but additional samples would be needed to confirm this. These emissions could lead to serious health effects especially if associated with chronic exposure.”

Community members have documented the presence of plastic debris in photographs, which may provide further evidence to support plastics decomposition.

In addition to the seven samples, the Committee for a Better Arvin has collected over 40 pollution logs documenting acute health effects associated with the strong chemical odors coming off of Community Recycling. The seven samples taken by residents display only a small fraction of what the community is being exposed to on a day to day basis.

“Three of the seven samples show high levels of hydrogen sulfide.” claims Sal Partida from the Committee for a Better Arvin, “Community Recycling is poisoning our air and if the Air District’s not going to do anything about it, we want the facility shut down.”

The Committee for a Better Arvin is planning a rally near Community Recycling to demand the company clean up its mess and to put pressure on the Air District to monitor the air near Community Recycling. The rally is scheduled for October 14, 2012 at the corner of Wheeler Ridge Rd and Bear Mountain Blvd at 2pm.

“This shows a toxic cocktail of chemicals in the air around Arvin and the Air District needs to take action to protect the residents.” argues Jessica Hendricks of Global Community Monitor. “The community needs the Air District to do comprehensive air monitoring near Community Recycling at the times, when the residents have identified are the worst.”

The independent air testing program, known as the “Bucket Brigade,” empowers pollution-affected residents to take scientifically credible samples using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved methods and laboratories. The Committee for a Better Arvin has been spearheading the Bucket Brigade efforts in hopes of shutting down the toxic recycling center, a clear victory in the fight for clean air, healthy communities and Environmental Justice.

For more information see: Air Toxics Bucket Brigade

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