Air pollution

Prompt:
Using your zip code (or the zip code from your family home, find out the following and enter info in your BLOG.
  • Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code?
    • Some of the top polluters in my zip code include Tyco Thermal controls (manufactures heat tracing systems), South Bay Marble (building supplies), Peterson Prods (plastic manufacturing), Discovery Partners Intl., and Equilon San Francisco Terminal.  
  • What percent of the homes in your zipcode have lead-based paint?
    • One percent of homes in my county have lead based paint
  • Are there Superfund sites in your zip?  (In your BLOG, make sure to tell us what a Superfund Site is)
    • A Superfund is a federal government program designed to fund the clean up of sites that are contaminated with hazardous substances and pollutants.  There aren't any superfud sites in my county.
  • What can you tell us about the Superfund sites that are near where you live?
    • The database says that there are superfund sites located in Santa Clara and San Francisco, both of which are close to my zip code.
  • What did you learn about the air quality in your zipcode?
    • The air quality in my  code is in my opinion really bad.  For five of the categories, it ranted in the top 90% for dirtiest/worst counties in the US.  It was also ranked in the 90% dirtiest/worst countries in the US for categories such as "added cancer risk from hazardous air pollutants, noncancer risks from hazardous air pollutants, number of people living in areas where cancer risks from HAPs exceeds 1 in 10,000, and number of people living in areas where non cancer risk from HAPs exceeds 1".  
  • How about the water quality?
    • The water quality was also in the high percentages for dirtiest/worst counties.  The percentage of rivers, streams, and creek waterbodies affected with pesticides was 57%.  The percent of estuaries, bays, and coasts affected by pesticides and metals were 75%.  
  • How did your zipcode fair on a social justice / environmental justice basis?
    • The other zip codes that I compared San Mateo's social justice/environmental justice to was San Francisco and Burlingame and the ratings were all either the same or similar.  

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