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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05201997 - D13 D.13 THE BOARD OR SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on May 20, 1997 by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Rogers, Uilkema, Gerber, Canciamilla, DeSaulnier NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None aaaazxzaaacsaaaaazaazxxaaxaazsazzzzazaaas:aazaazzxazzzzxas=zazzzaaaaaxaaaaaaaa SUBJECT: The Bucket Brigade - A Community Based Air Monitoring Pilot Project The Board considered the recommendations of William Walker, MD, Health Services Director, set forth in his report attached hereto and a part of this document. Following an introduction of the proposed project by Eleanor Blake of the Environmental Health Division, Health Services Department, the fol- lowing persons spoke in support of the project: Kasha Ressler, S.E.A., 565 Clark Street, Crockett; Karen Susag, CBE/RAP Coalition, 500 Howard Street, San Francisco 94110; Sarah Eeles, RAP Coalition, Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council, and West County Toxics Coalition, 169 East Scenie Avenue, Richmond 94801; and Denny Larson, 500 Howard Street, 1506, San Francisco 94105. Jack Bean, representative of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, conveyed the District's interest in working with Health Services Department staff and advised that he had several concerns relative to the handling of the air samples collected in order to achieve accurate test results. All persons desiring to speak were heard. At the conclusion of the discussion on the feasibility of establishing the project, the Board approved the following actions: 1. ACCEPTED the Report (see attached) and AUTHORIZED the Health Services Director to continue to develop project details along the lines of the report, and seek outside funding to implement a pilot project; 2. DIRECTED the Health Services Director to investigate possible sources for funding the program for an additional $25,000; and 3. DIRECTED the Health Services Director and County Counsel to provide a status report to the Board of Supervisors on the issues including funding, liability, implementation of the program and coordination of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board's input. I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN . ATTESTED May 20, 1997 Phil Batchelor,Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator By�. _, Deputy cc: County Administrator Health Services Director Hazardous Materials Commission(vie HSD) Hazardous Materials Department BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM; William Walker, MD - ' Health Services Director DATE: May 20,1997 SUBJECT: BUCKET BRIGADE-A COMMUNITY BASED AIR MONITORING PILOT PROJECT SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION Recommendation: ACCEPT the report from the Health Services Department entitled "The Bucket Brigade" -- A Comm its- ased Air Sampling Piot Project. AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director to continue to develop project details along the lines of the report, and seek outside funding to implement a pilot project. Background: On November 19, 1996, in response to a presentation from the Regional Accident Prevention(RAP) Coalition and a number of incidents at area refineries, the Board directed the Health Services Department to work with community organizations to develop a"bucket brigade"of residents to conduct air sampling around refineries,and report back to the Board in six months. The Department developed the attached report in consultation with the RAP Coalition, including the Shoreline Environmental Alliance-Crockett/Rodeo, Communities for a Safe Environment-Martinez, the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council, the West County Toxics Coalition, and Communities for a Better Environment(CBE),whose members have been supporters of community- based air sampling. A"bucket brigade"refers to members of the community who have been trained to use a whole-air sampler when they believe there may be a release from a refinery or chemical plant. Taking a sample takes a matter of seconds. Contents of the sampler are then analyzed by a certified laboratory. The container for the sampler is the same as a 5-gallon paint bucket-- hence, "bucket brigade." Fiscal Impact: Health Services will seek funding sources outside of the Department, such as USEPA, for a pilot project. While that funding is being sought,Health Services will allocate up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000)in the first year of the project for lab analysis of samples taken by community members during incidents that require a response by the Hazardous Materials Division Incident Response Team. The Department will also allocate staff to time project design and implementation. If the pilot proves successful, the Department will report to ,the Board with recommendations for mechanisms to continue funding the project. I CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON � APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Contra Costa County The Board of Supervisors HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR Jim Rogers,1st District E............. William B.Walker,M.D. Gayle S.Ullksma,2nd District �-_ `�-��, Director b Health Officer Donna Gerber,3rd District Mark DsSaulnler,4th District •• I 20 Allen Street Joseph Canclamlila,5th District Martinez, California 94553-3191 County Administrator •, - ��¢ (510)370-5003 Phil Batchelor °°sT•• r J�� FAX(510)370-5M. County Administrator c ux Date: May 20, 1997 To: Board of Supervisors •- � h From: William B. Walker,M.D. Health Services Director Subject: Report on The"Bucket Brigade"-A Community-Based Air Sampling Pilot Project Introduction On November 19, 1996, the Board of Supervisors heard a request from the Regional Accident Prevention(RAP) Coalition, a network of environmental justice organizations and community members living near oil refineries and chemical plants in Contra Costa and Solano Counties, that the County work with the community to develop a"bucket brigade." The bucket brigade would be comprised of residents trained to use whole-air sampling equipment to sample the air when they believed there was an unusual release from a refinery or chemical plant. For the past two years, 15-20 "bucket"samplers have been used to take samples in Contra Costa communities. This activity was spurred by three perceptions that convinced community members that they and government agencies did not have enough information to protect those who live and work in the County from industrial releases, fires, and explosions. o The Bay Area Air Quality Control District's and facilities' fixed samplers were insufficient in number,the area they cover, and the range of chemicals they could sample for; o The District's staff often does not arrive in time to sample what may be a short-lived event; o A general mistrust of the District's and County's capabilities and accountability to the community, and of information from industry about releases. At the time of the Coalition's presentation,the Board had spent over half a year discussing ways to reduce the number of industrial incidents, considering both measures already in place and additional measures that Supervisors could take. The Board directed the Health Services Director to work with community organizations to develop the brigade. Mwtllf m WmorW Ho@OW a I WW Carewa • P4ft HMMA - Mw td KmM • &bsW oa Atm - Er"=w"HMM Conn Costa HesM Pwr • Enwprwy 1bdbN Sawlogs • Hdna HMah Ap.rwy • Gerwm= A-U5 PA7) Board of Supervisors Page 3 "Bucket Brigade"Report May 20, 1997 5. The ability to conduct quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC). The Air District has compared side-by-side samples of their own with those taken by the RAP Coalition and found the lab results to be very close. The"bucket"technology limitations with regard to QA/QC will be addressed in the final project design and evaluation. ' 6. The inherent limitations of this particular tool. It is important that all participants acknowledge that these air sampling devices take one sample in a matter of seconds, at a time selected by the community member with the "bucket." Results can not provide information gn the length of potential exposure.the source of any chemical found. or what the maximum level of any substance may have been at the sampling_site. When the buckets may be used: Samples may be gathered when the community-samplers or other nearby residents detect an odor they believe may originate at a facility, and during incidents such as fires that may release chemicals into the community. The safety issue during a shelter-in- place alert will preclude residents from taking samples then,when the air may well contain chemicals from a release. Solutions to this sampling barrier will be explored, including the possibility of remote operation of the"buckets"and other options. It is expected that samples will be taken at the community-sampler's home or local business, though he or she may take samples in a nearby populated area if alerted to an odor, irritant, or incident that may affect that area. Project design will include analyzing a sufficient number of background samples to establish base levels of substances in the air where the community-sampler is located. Interpretation of results: As with all sampling results, the agencies, community members and organizations, and facilities will each be free to interpret results of bucket sampling. In final project design we will strive to reach agreement on levels of concern for certain chemicals; chemicals for which data is insufficient to establish a level of concern; and criteria for determining outliers,bad samples, etc. We will also use this opportunity to seek consensus 'In a test of the Tedlar bags that are,inside the"buckets"and hold the air sample,the Air District found that a clean bag when stored picks up contaminants within three days. When the District uses such equipment,they therefore attempt to use it the same day it is"cleaned,"but no more than three days later,to assure that the sample reflects only the air actually sampled,and not contaminants from some other source. They test each bag for all compounds of interest before sending it to the field. Once a sample is taken,they allow a 3-day window (maximum)from the time of the sampling until the bag reaches the laboratory. Chemicals leaching from the plastic buckets themselves,or materials in a home,can contaminate a bag. In side-by-side tests approximately a year ago(Spring 1996),the Air District found overall close similarity in the lab analysis of samples taken by District staff and by RAP Coalition members. The District did identify two chemicals(acetone and a common chlorinated solvent)in RAP Coalition samples that the District did not find in its own samples;the District was unable to identify their source. It is not feasible financially or logistically to clean and replace bags in a resident's home every three days. However,the fact that the District's test of RAP Coalition samples proved not much different from the District's own suggests that this problem may not be very significant for an"information-only"project like this. Project participants and HSD might agree,for example,on some margin of error that would be acknowledged when results are reported. ,Board of Supervisors Page S `Bucket Brigade"Report May 20, 1997 samples taken by community members during incidents that require a response by the Hazardous Materials Division Incident Response Team. The Department will also allocate staff time to project design and implementation. If the project evaluation warrants its continuation, subsequent funding would be sought from outside sources. If outside funding is not available, the Health Services Director will present other options to the Board. Recommendation The Health Services Department recommends that the Board of Supervisors direct the Health Services Director to continue working with the community to develop project details and seek outside funding for a pilot project.