Amberglen Households Face Silica Dust Threat
TL;DR: 76% of Amberglen households include persons who are vulnerable to developing health problems as a result of exposure to airborne silica dust. Read on for more info…
During the first two weeks of February, volunteers from Amberglen Good Works canvassed the neighborhood to make sure that residents were aware of the Knife River concrete batch plant that is currently proposed for a location only 3/4 mile from Amberglen. Chuck Polacek led the canvassing effort, with the helpful assistance of Charleen Polacek, Karen Williams, Jane Cicala, Sue Nelson, Greg Otto, and Doris Messier. John Grant prepared the canvassing materials, including a survey designed to determine the number of households potentially impacted by airborne silica dust.
According to the National Institue of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), “Breathing in dust from silica-containing materials can lead to silicosis. Silica dust particles become trapped in lung tissue causing inflammation and scarring. The particles also reduce the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen. This condition is called silicosis. Silicosis results in permanent lung damage and is a progressive, debilitating, and sometimes fatal disease.” In addition, exposure to silica dust can result in developing other serious diseases, including lung cancer, COPD, kidney disease, and autoimmune disease.
The canvassers asked four questions, each designed to determine inclusion in separate risk groups:
- How many people in the household are aged 65 or older?
- How many children in the household play outside?
- How many people in the household have respiratory issues?
- How many pets live in the household and spend time outside?
51 of the 60 homes in Amberglen were surveyed, and the results are alarming: 76% of households include persons in at least one of the risk groups, with the number rising to 84% when pets are included. The conclusions were based on the following collected data:
- 51% of households have persons aged 65 or older.
- 18% of households have children who play outside.
- 41% of households have persons with respiratory issues.
- 29% of households have pets that spend time outside.
Additional data and analysis can be found here.
Amberglen Good Works is working in cooperation with the Friends of Central Vancouver to stop the planned construction of a concrete batch plant adjacent to the Mt. View Estates neighborhood, less than 3/4 mile from Amberglen. We urge all of our neighbors to help in any way possible. Please contact us by email at amberglengoodworks@gmail.com, or speak to a member of the AGW Steering Committee to find out what you can do.
— “This will destroy our community’s health. It will destroy the environment and the people will suffer.”