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The part of southeast Queens adjacent to Kennedy Airport is ground zero for pollutants originating from the airport and its associated industries.
The area has a concentration of airport-related transportation industries and a significant absence of green space. Airplanes and other combustion engines are a recognized source of particulates, and summer evenings are sometimes punctuated by the permeating odors of jet fuel.
Those residents would like answers to the above questions.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation monitors air pollutants in New York City, but it is questionable if that monitoring provides an adequate picture of the situation in southeast Queens.
The monitoring stations - in Maspeth and Flushing - are a considerable distance from the source of the pollutants. It is arguable that significant dilution and fallout occurs before air reaches the monitoring sites, and that the information recorded does not reflect the air quality in the immediate area. This lends support to the argument that the Eastern Queens Alliance has been making for monitoring in the areas immediate to all significant sources of pollution.
Health effects caused by air pollutants can range from minor to major respiratory problems. New York City has a higher rate of hospitalizations due to asthma (NYC Asthma Facts, 2nd Edition, 2003) than the rest of the U.S.
The same document provides data indicating a falloff of asthma hospitalizations in southeast Queens. Is this really the case, or are we apparently seeing no confidence in the health care system among many in these areas?
Area residents with private insurance go to nearby hospitals in Long Island instead of those in the city. Southeast Queens residents are more likely to utilize hospitals such as Franklin General and Long Island Jewish instead of a city hospital. Does this mean then that there is not an accurate picture of hospitalizations for asthma or other illnesses related to air pollution in the area?
Particulates originating from diesel or similar combustion are believed to be associated with a variety of mutagenic and carcinogenic chemicals, and studies in rats have found that diesel exhaust can produce neoplastic and inflammatory responses. The particles from such emissions have been shown to be in the 2.5-to-5 micron range - a size that can easily do great damage to lung tissue.
In its white paper "A Comprehensive Plan - Maximizing Quality of Life in Southeast Queens," published in 2005, the Queens Alliance calls for high-quality community health care facilities for local residents and for mandated, regular, ongoing monitoring of hazardous air pollutants in southeast Queens and their reduction.
It also calls for the establishment and strict enforcement of regulations aimed at encouraging efficient and less-polluting vehicles in the area.
The white paper also takes the position that federal laws must require pollution-reducing upgrades on aircraft frequently flying into "nonattainment areas" - where air pollution levels persistently exceed the national ambient air-quality standards - like Kennedy and LaGuardia, especially near residential areas. In addition, the alliance is calling on the Department of Health to focus on the causes and prevention of respiratory illnesses in areas in close proximity to major industrial pollution sources.
Currently the Alliance is designing a community air-quality study and is seeking to partner with a local university in the implementation of this effort.
Barbara E. Brown is chairwoman of the Eastern Queens Alliance, a federation of civic associations in southeast Queens.
