BOARD MEETING DATE: June 1, 2007
AGENDA NO. 6
PROPOSAL:
Execute Contract for Study on Combustion Exhaust and Respiratory Health of Port Community Children
SYNOPSIS:
The University of Southern California has submitted a proposal to study health effects in children in San Pedro, West Long Beach and Wilmington exposed to primary and secondary exhaust products resulting from the transport of commercial goods along major transportation corridors near the ports. This proposed study will be an add-on to an ongoing research effort on the influences of environment and genetics on children’s asthma funded by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences. This action is to fund the study, “Combustion Exhaust and the Respiratory Health of Port Community Children,” in an amount not to exceed $489,300 from the Clean Fuels Fund.
COMMITTEE:
Technology, May 25, 2007. Less than a quorum was present during the discussion of this item. The Chairman communicated his concurrence and recommendation that this item be forwarded for Board consideration.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with the University of Southern California for the study, “Combustion Exhaust and the Respiratory Health of Port Community Children,” in an amount not to exceed $489,300 from the Clean Fuels Fund (Fund 31).
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer
Background
Over the past several years, regulators, scientists, and public health officials have become increasingly aware of long-term adverse consequences of ambient air pollution exposure on the lung development and respiratory health of young children. A number of researchers have reported on respiratory health effects and others have linked vehicle exhaust related pollutants with a number of negative health outcomes in early life.
Emissions related to transport of goods through the ports of San Pedro Bay have led to concerns among community residents and public health researchers that such emissions may be increasing the risk of asthma in children living and going to schools in communities near port transportation corridors. While numerous public health and educational professionals, as well as community members, in the area have impressions that children’s asthma prevalence may be much higher among residents near the ports compared to other areas of the South Coast, no objective information is available to either confirm or refute these conclusions.
Proposal
This proposal shall add on to a study conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health (NIEHS). Specifically, this study will focus on combustion exhaust exposure gradients resulting from substantial and increasing transport of commercial goods by truck and rail, across communities whose boundaries encompass major transportation corridors. To address these issues, the University of Southern California (USC) proposes to augment their current investigation of children’s respiratory health in Long Beach and other Southern California communities by recruiting an additional 3,000 schoolchildren in the communities of San Pedro, Wilmington, and West Long Beach. In each of these three communities, 500 kindergarten (age five to six years) and 500 fourth-grade students (age nine to ten years) will be invited to participate through their respective school classrooms. Standardized health and residential history questionnaires will be completed by parents and guardians to document subjects’ health status. Incident and prevalent asthma (in kindergarten and fourth-grade students, respectively) will be assessed. Additional biological data will be individually collected and archived for later analyses. Children with potential undiagnosed or untreated respiratory disease will be directed to mobile or fixed-site medical clinics for follow-up medical care.
Using monitoring data from a recently initiated exposure assessment effort in these communities, gradient effects of combustion exhaust exposure on the respiratory health of community children will be assessed, as will potential association with proximity to major traffic corridors. This health study will exploit a substantial concurrent exposure characterization effort being supported by the AQMD and CARB. The linkage of the existing exposure and proposed health efforts will provide significant benefit to the public health, exposure research, and regulatory communities.
Benefits to AQMD
From the public health and regulatory perspectives, direct information about the respiratory health status of communities impacted by goods movement activities will provide objective data where there currently is a vacuum of available information. Without linkage to health outcome, the District’s and CARB’s current commitment to an extensive air monitoring and characterization campaign falls short of its potential public health promise and critical motivation for the extent and degree of monitoring.
Results from this study will provide objective data on the prevalence of asthma in children attending school near the ports. The analysis would seek to determine whether asthma risk is associated with community levels of diesel emissions, focusing on emissions from truck transport emissions. This information can be used to determine the health benefits of using alternate and advanced technologies to reduce diesel emissions.
Sole Source Justification
Section VIII.B.2. of the Procurement Policy and Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole source aware may be justified. This request for a sole source award is made under provision B.2.d. Other circumstances exist which in the determination of the Executive Officer require such waiver in the best interest of the AQMD. Specifically, clause B.2.d.(1): Projects including cost sharing by multiple sponsors. This project is being developed in conjunction with a study by NIEHS.
Resource Impacts
AQMD’s cost will not exceed $489,300. The amounts of co-funding are listed below:
AQMD $489,300
NIEHS $2,500,000
Funds are available from the Clean Fuels Fund (Fund 31), established as a special revenue fund resulting from the state-mandated Clean Fuels Program. The Clean Fuels Program, under Health and Safety Code Sections 40448.5 and 40512 and Vehicle Code Section 9250.11, establishes mechanisms to collect revenues from mobile sources to support projects to increase the utilization of clean fuels, including the development of the necessary advanced enabling technologies.
Funds collected from motor vehicles are restricted by statute to be used for projects and program activities related to mobile sources that support the objectives of the Clean Fuels Program. This project is related to the Clean Fuels Program because fine particulates are emitted by fuel combustion and formed in the atmosphere from NOx and SOx emitted from motor vehicles and other sources. This program will help understand the benefits to be derived from switching to alternate technologies, including clean fuel technologies. AQMD is required to consider health effects when determining which clean fuels projects to fund. This study will provide information regarding which fuels are more health damaging, and that can be used to quantify the health benefits of using alternate and advanced technology to reduce diesel emissions.