By Patricia Hilliard • Hudson County Group Chair
Smokestacks are a less common sight—for now—but many sources of air pollution are still right in front of us.
Increased hauling of equipment, devices, and food from busy ports and warehouses has made transportation a major source of air pollution. Diesel trucks, ocean-going vessels, and freight trains that burn diesel fuel are blowing particulate matter into the air in every community.
Stop Fuming!
One very local source of pollution is caused by vehicles idling. You see it every day: the ambulance idling outside a hospital, a delivery truck idling in front of a home or business. Some idling occurs when big public events attract hundreds or thousands of automobiles.
Many highways have seen traffic congestion soar, and even shopping malls may have emissions-producing gridlock from poorly designed exit routes. Even people who idle their gas-powered cars in parking lots or at home contribute to poor air quality.
What Can Be Done?
New Jersey does have a law against idling. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will take action against excessive idling and vehicles with poor emissions controls. If you see a smoking vehicle on the roads or vehicles idling excessively at businesses or restaurants, contact the DEP’s Diesel Enforcement division and file a complaint. You need to call and complain to get them to investigate. Don’t wait and wonder if something will ever be done.
Small industrial operations can also pollute the air with dust and smoke. In September last year in Bayonne, residents saw dust accumulating on their car windshields and complained of respiratory and eye irritation. What was causing this dust? It was a metal recycler up the street in what was designated as an industrial area, but dust floats out of industrial areas. Low-income homes, a school, and a park were the first to be hit by the dust.
For a situation like this, be sure to call your community representatives and call 1-877-WARN-DEP (1-877-927-6337). You must show your concern. In Bayonne, the DEP slapped European Metal Recycling with two violations after residents complained.
Does It Truly Freshen the Air?
Some air fresheners contain potentially harmful volatile organic compounds (VOC), such as benzene, a known carcinogen, and formaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen. Some other chemicals in air fresheners are butane, propane, nitrogen, styrene, toluene and acetone. Clean air is what we need to stay alive. Study up and choose your air fresheners carefully, or just open a window. Certain naturally scented oils and plant extracts are healthier alternatives.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), one component used in air fresheners is 1,4-dichlorobenzene (1,4-DCB), which is associated with reduced lung function. This has a distinctive aroma and is used in mothballs, room deodorizers, and urinal and toilet bowl blocks.
Toss the air fresheners if you’ve been having problems breathing in your home or office. In a survey for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1988 and 1994, the NIH found that, on average, African Americans had the highest levels of 1,4-DCB. Higher blood levels of this substance were associated with lower lung function.
Puff the Magic Dragon?
As you walk down the street you can smell it. Or, at the family gathering there’s a heaviness to the air. Yes, one of the most obvious sources of bad air is the horrible habit of smoking cigarettes or cigars, including vaping. This puts toxins directly into the lungs. I won’t go on and on about this, because many of us have known someone in our lives who collapsed from lung disease caused by smoking. Take action to address the issues with those who smoke—whenever the need arises—and be sure to protect yourself. “Please Dad, can you smoke outside?” is a sensible and fair request.
Advanced Clean Trucks
On the state and national level, there are efforts by truck makers and some policymakers to prevent legislation that promotes use of battery-powered trucks. There are also efforts to weaken federal and state laws that enable citizens to hold corporations responsible for the contamination they spew into our communities. Join Sierra Club and help by contacting your representatives and insisting they support policy that protects clean air in our communities.
Resources
Report a problem to the DEP: https://shorturl.at/ivMlR
Bayonne dust problem: https://shorturl.at/1huDp
NIH study: https://shorturl.at/8BZ5l
Preserving clean air and water: https://shorturl.at/tiVkF