The regular meeting of the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control Board was called to order October 15, 2003, at 9:03 a.m. in the Board Room of the Air Pollution Control District, 850 Barret Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky, by the Chair Karen Cassidy. Lee Howard, Lewis Hammond, Barbara Sexton Smith, Sandra Withers, and Nadir Al-Shami were present. A quorum was present.
The following Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District (District) staff members were present: Art Williams, Jon Trout, Lauren Anderson, Terri Phelps, Cynthia Lee, Arthur Chang, Martha Gammons, Diane Hazellief, Gary Flispart, Eva Addison, Rebecca Stutsman, Phyllis Fitzgerald, TJ Jessie, Dee Lynch, Bob Dorzback, Barry Zalph, and Irene Stephenson.
The following guests were present: Paige Mosser Theriac, Kentuckiana Engineering Company, Inc.; Sarah Sheetz, Louisville Gas & Electric Company; Jonathan D. Miller, DuPont Dow Elastomers L.L.C.; Bruce Gaylord, former District Staff; Pat Moran, Stites & Harbison; Jeri Britton, Lawn Care for Cleaner Air recipient; Robert Gioffre, Gordon-Darby; Tim Corrigan, Greater Louisville, Inc.; Joseph Vibbert, former Board Chairman; Dr. Tim Aldrich, Michael Hicks, and Fairouz Saad, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences; Bob Ehrler, Frost, Brown, Todd L.L.C.; and Carolyn Embry, American Lung Association of Kentucky.
Mr. Williams introduced Lauren Anderson, the District’s new attorney. Ms. Anderson, who is actually an employee of the County Attorney’s Office and is assigned to work with the District, began her new position on September 17, the day of the last Board meeting. Mr. Williams said that the District will benefit significantly from her environmental experience, which includes previous positions with the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet and the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission.
Ms. Fitzgerald presented two Lawn Care For Cleaner Air Awards to Jeri Britton, one for her residence and one for the Limerick Community Garden. Ms. Britton's yard in Old Louisville is planted completely in flowers; there is no grass and thus she has no gasoline lawn mower. She is the site coordinator for the Limerick Community Garden. The Limerick Community Garden, located on 6th Street, between Kentucky and Breckinridge Streets, has had a grassy area replaced by gardens that produce food and flowers.
The minutes of the Public Hearing and Regular Meeting of September 17, 2003, were approved, with the correction to the reference in the Regular Meeting minutes to Vice-Chairman Howard, and filed.
Mr. Williams introduced guests Dr. Tim Aldrich and Michael Hicks from the School of Public Health and Information Sciences of the University of Louisville. Dr. Aldrich's finding on the incidences of various types of cancer found throughout Jefferson County and Kentucky were recently reported in The Courier-Journal.
Dr. Aldrich noted that much of today’s presentation has been taken from the report Cancer Incidence in Jefferson County, Kentucky, 1996-2000. A copy of this report and the slides intended to be shown today are attached to the original minutes. He briefly discussed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 Air Toxics Relative Risk Screening Analysis that identified Jefferson County as the county in the eight southeastern states with the greatest potential risk of adverse health effects associated with air toxics. However, he said that Kentucky was not that distinctive when looking at cancer rates across the United States.
Dr. Aldrich explained that the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences works closely with the J. Graham Brown Cancer Center. In the past, obtaining cancer information had been difficult, but state-wide cancer registration information has become available starting in 1992 and information from some other states has become available starting in 1994.
Dr. Aldrich said the first task was to look at types of cancer for which Jefferson County rates were high compared to the rest of the state. He said that breast cancer occurs in one out of eight women some time during their lifetime. Mortality rates from breast cancer have declined dramatically because of early detection. Prostrate cancer rates in men were conspicuously high in Jefferson County, affecting one out of six. Lung cancer rates are significantly higher in Kentucky, particularly in Appalachia, although most Kentucky counties have a statistically significantly higher rate than the national average. In fact, of the 155 counties in the country with statistically significantly higher lung caner rates, 105 are Kentucky counties. Fortunately, recent data show that the lung cancer rate in Kentucky is declining slightly. Dr. Aldrich indicated that much or all of this excess lung cancer incidence may be due to elevated smoking rates. Colon cancer incidence rates in Jefferson County are below the state average. Cervical cancer incidence rates in Jefferson County are high compared to the state average. Environmental risks tend to reflect rarer cancers. Elevated leukemia incidence rates in Jefferson show a correlation with inner-city areas, not with neighborhoods close to industrial emissions. Pediatric cancer incidence rates are lower in Jefferson County and Kentucky compared to the nation, and there is no suggestion of environmental patterns.
Dr. Aldrich said that the more immediate air quality concern should be asthma, not lung cancer. Lung cancer is a 30-plus-year biological process; asthma is a much more proximal disease that affects a larger number of people. Asthma incidence rates are a much better reflection of potential risk. Unfortunately, complete asthma incidence data are not available, but there are now efforts being made to compile these data.
Mr. Williams noted that the District has provided historical ambient air monitoring data to Dr. Aldrich for his work in studying any correlation between air quality and adverse cardiovascular effects.
Chair Cassidy asked which entity would be the best equipped to collect asthma data in Jefferson County. Dr. Aldrich responded that the University of Louisville Medical School Department of Pediatrics has been studying the data for hospitalizations due to asthma attacks. The dilemma is that these data do not include asthma attacks for children who were treated as out-patients or in the emergency department. Health care providers are the logical people to provide more complete information. Chair Cassidy asked whether there was any organization in the country that was successfully collecting complete asthma data. Dr. Aldrich responded that Chicago has one of the best models to consider.
Mr. Williams indicated that the District has explored putting together a partnership that would include the University of Louisville, Louisville Metro Government, the EPA, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and Jefferson County Public Schools to develop a process to obtain complete asthma incidence data. The District will discuss this issue further with the Board.
Mr. Williams described a recent study that was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association showed increased asthma attacks in children at ozone levels in the 30-50 parts per billion (ppb) range, well below the EPA's ambient air quality standards (the 1-hour ozone standard is 120 ppb and the 8-hour ozone standard is 80 ppb). He said that Dr. Aldrich's presentation helps bring an understanding to the challenge of communicating to the community the relationship between air quality and public health for both cancer and non-cancer effects.
Mr. Williams indicated that the Louisville area did not have an 8-hour ozone standard exceedance since the September Board meeting. Despite the relatively few 8-hour ozone standard exceedances that did occur in 2003, the 8-hour ozone standard design value for the Louisville area, based on the Charlestown (Clark County, Indiana) monitor, increased from 90 ppb for the 2000-2002 three-year period to 92 ppb for the 2001-2003 three-year period. The 2001-2003 three-year period design value will be used by the EPA for the area's 8-hour ozone standard designation and, if required by the EPA's final implementation plan, classification. The New Albany (Floyd County, Indiana) monitor's design value increased from 83 ppb to 86 ppb, also a violation of the 8-hour ozone standard. All three of the Jefferson County monitors (Bates, Watson, and WLKY) show a design value lower than the 8-hour ozone standard.
Mr. Williams said that the Vehicle Emissions Testing (VET) Program is scheduled to end October 31. The testing volumes have not fallen off. During the month of September, there were 3,000 additional vehicles tested compared to September 2002 and during August there were 1,000 additional vehicles tested compared to August 2002. The first 11 days of October produced 1,000 additional tests compared to the same time frame in October 2002. Ms. Stutsman made a report on Fox 41 this morning. Media attention is picking up about the final two weeks of the VET Program. Most of the questions pertain to whether people still have to test and what are the consequences if they don't test. Mr. Williams said that the program continues until the end of October and the testing requirements continue through the end of October. The federal issue regarding the effect of closing the VET Program on the 8-hour ozone and fine particulate matter standards is still pending. The State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision request was sent to the Kentucky Division for Air Quality on August 27, 2003, and the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet sent the SIP revision request to the EPA on September 22, 2003. The District will keep the Board members updated on actions taken by the EPA.
Mr. Howard asked what would happen if a vehicle failed a VET test in the month of October and normally would be re-tested in November. Mr. Williams responded that if a vehicle was required to be tested in September or October and either wasn't tested or was tested and failed, the date of the test would determine what the consequences would be. If the test was taken in early September and failed and the vehicle was not re-tested, the State might still take action to revoke that registration during the month of October. At some point, the State will not take further action on revocations. If a vehicle's registration has already been revoked, the owner would still have an opportunity to retest the vehicle and pass and have the vehicle's registration reinstated by the County Clerk's Office.
Mr. Williams said that Sciences International Inc. has indicated that the final Air Toxics Risk Assessment Report will be provided by October 24. A presentation will be made at the next Board meeting about what differences, if any, there are between the draft report that came out in May of this year and the final report. Mr. Williams said that major changes are not expected.
Mr. Williams mentioned that a Children's Environmental Health Workshop will be held this Thursday and Friday, October 16 and 17, at the University of Louisville Shelby Campus. The workshop is being organized by the Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission and the University of Louisville.
The list of this month's Lawn Care for Cleaner Air Award recipients was submitted for filing. A copy is attached to the original minutes.
The air quality monitoring reports were submitted for filing. A copy of each report is attached to the original minutes.
The VET report was submitted for filing. A copy is attached to the original minutes.
The APCD Enforcement Status 10/07/2003 report was submitted for filing. A copy is attached to the original minutes.
Mr. Trout noted as a follow up to last month’s Board meeting that Citizen's Clean Air Commitments were received from 31 Noveon employees.
The meeting adjourned at 10:13 a.m.
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Karen Cassidy
Chair
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Jonathan L. Trout
Secretary-Treasurer