Congressman Henry Waxman (33rd-Dem) sent a letter to South Coast Air Quality Management District Executive Officer Barry Wallerstein on Wednesday to request that the agency investigate reports of high levels of ultrafine particle pollution around Santa Monica Airport (SMO).
A study released last week from scientists at UCLA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) suggested that ultrafine particle levels were between four and thirty-seven times higher in the area downwind of SMO than in neighboring areas.
Research on particulate matter pollution indicates it can cause a range of health impacts, including premature death, heart attack, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, and decreased lung function.
In the letter, Waxman writes, “The residents neighboring SMO and those who work there are entitled to a safe living and working environment, including clean air protected by pollution controls and responsible management practices.”
The full text of the letter is available online here.
