Health and Economic Impacts:
SLAP NOW!'s Focus

by Anna Pycior

Every day children and youth are exposed to the dangers of diesel fumes coming or going from school on school buses. The American Pediatrics Association found in a recent study that a child sitting in a school bus "may be exposed to as much as 4 times the level of diesel exhaust as someone riding in a car."' The EPA has classified diesel exhaust particles as "a probable human carcinogen." The levels found in the air surrounding an idling bus are between 23 and 46 times higher than that which is defined as a "cancer risk" by EPA standards. Children, because their lungs are so small, breathe in 50o more air per pound of body weight than adults. Allergies and asthma are both triggered by diesel, and asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism for chronic illness. Critical development of the lung also takes place in adolescence, rendering youth as well as children at particular risk from diesel fumes, and air pollution, in general.

An EPA backed report just released and available on the American Lung Association of New York State's website, has found that New York State has the highest number of health impacts associated with diesel exhaust particles of any state in the nation.

According to the report, the annual health impacts associated with diesel in New York include: over 2,000 premature deaths - nearly l00 of which are due to lung cancer; nearly 3,700 heart attacks in those with preexisting disease; more than 50,000 asthma attacks; 318,000 lost work days as people are home sick or caring for a loved one, and 1.8 million restricted activity days.

The problem is at its worst right here at home. For more detail, I encourage you to go to the American Lung Association's website to view the report and input your zipcode. Of the worst state in the nation for diesel exposures, Westchester is among the worst of all counties in the state, as are those in the NYC metropolitan area.

Students for Less Air Pollution NOW! finds these health risks and social and economic costs to be completely unacceptable. We begin our campaign with a focus on this urgent particular threat, although all forms of air pollution need to be addressed, and addressed, NOW!

To contact Anna, write to: boxerhoward@yahoo.com

SLAP NOW! Beginnings
An Introduction

By Dave Weinreb

SLAP NOW! has drawn our basis for action from the Healthy Air Action Plan for Westchester, commissioned by the County Board of Legislators' Environment Committee, which is why we are here outside the County Legislators Building today. We thank the legislators and members of the task force who created the report for the energy and thought which produced the recommendations we now act upon.

Restricting missions from idling buses in particular, are where we begin our campaign for less air pollution in our region. New York State has a state-wide anti-idling law, which prohibits idling for more than five minutes at a time, other than emergency motor vehicles. In Westchester County, local law 20, enacted in 1991, limits idling to 3 minutes and states that no diesel powered vehicle can idle for more than 5 minutes on county property. Enforcement is critical. The local governments must put pressure on vehicle operators to adhere to the laws that are already in place. But moreover, we would like to see this idling legislation extended beyond county property, at a minimum, to be applied to school district property. We recognize that this will take time, and therefore have decided to push at the local school district level for policies which can restrict idling now. Although the Plan recommends idling restrictions be reduced to 30 seconds idling time on school property, we would go further in recommending a no idling policy with few exceptions precisely because it is simpler and easier to enforce. This would apply to all school buses, all delivery vehicles, and all personal passenger vehicles.

As the Plan urges, we will also be lobbying New York State for funding for a) the retrofitting and retirement of older school buses, and b) the conversion to ultra low sulfer diesel fuel for school bus fleets throughout the county.

With these changes, the school community would begin to see a significant decrease in pollution, and be promoting a healthier learning environment for our children. We believe that young people like ourselves, who are among the most physically vulnerable, should lead the way in addressing air pollution problems, but we invite school administrators, teachers, school bus drivers, parents, and others, to join our campaign and work in partnership with us.

Dave Weinreb is Co-President of WESC, Harrison High School. Write to Dave at: LifeisGood1311@aol.com