In early June, officials from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) met with seven members of the Paramount clergy. Dr. Ruth Perez, Paramount Unified School District Superintendent, and John Moreno, City Manager of Paramount, also attended the meeting.
SCAQMD Executive Officer Wayne Nastri gave an overview of the agency and its responsibilities in maintaining air quality throughout Southern California, including Paramount. Assistant Deputy Executive Officer of Science and Technology Advancement Dr. Jason Low followed with a presentation on SCAQMD’s monitoring efforts related to hexavalent chromium in the City’s air, noting that the monthly average of these concentrations has lowered since December 2016.
Health Effects Officer Jo Kay Ghosh discussed the potential effects of hexavalent chromium on individual health over time. Derrick Alatorre, Deputy Executive Officer, rounded out the staff’s presentation by going over SCAQMD’s community outreach that has occurred and legislation created as a result of SCAQMD’s work in the City. These include numerous Town Hall meetings as well as collaboration on Assembly Bill (AB) 1132, which enhances the ability of SCAQMD and other air pollution control districts to quickly shut down businesses that are emitting dangerous levels of air pollution in violation of federal or state air quality requirements.
As at similar meetings it has hosted in the past, SCAQMD invited those in attendance to ask questions of staff, which led to in-depth discussions about such issues as short- and long-term health effects to the multi-agency cooperation that has taken place in Paramount.
SCAQMD will continue to work closely with the City Manager’s office to bring awareness to the community on the hexavalent chromium issue, as well as the various efforts to mitigate it.
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