Residents Not Satisfied with
Pacific Steel Plant Deal

Some community members want to put more pressure on foundry to improve air quality 

DOROTHY VRIEND / Berkeley Voice 3feb2006

More than 100 community members met with air district officials at the West Berkeley Senior Center earlier this week, saying the district's December settlement with Pacific Steel Casting doesn't go far enough to address rising production levels at the foundry.

Sarah Simonet, founder of West Berkeley Alliance for Clean Air and Safe Jobs, also protested that community members were left out of the settlement and that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District needs to do more to hold Pacific Steel Casting accountable.

In a move Wednesday designed to add to the pressure, Willi Paul, a member of the alliance, launched CleanAirCoalition.net, which he characterized as a cleanup strategy "with teeth."

He said the organization is not linked to the alliance, although he is a member of both. The coalition intends to file multiple small claims lawsuits, suing for damages under a state public nuisance law to force PSC back to the table, Paul said.

"We will sign up as many as 150 individuals in El Cerrito, Albany and Berkeley as a way to bring PSC to negotiate a better, cleaner deal," Paul said. Community members at Tuesday's meeting demanded more public participation, and asked for a reduction of toxics used — not just a filtration of the toxics — at the plant. They also said they want to see the air district address emissions escaping from open doors and from Plant 2, which generates neighborhood complaints even though it has a carbon-filtration system.

Air district officials pointed out the accomplishments of the past year, including the deal that requires PSC to install a new carbon air-filtration system on Plant 3 and to complete a health risk assessment, taking into account some 40 compounds used by the company.

Brian Bateman, the air district's director of engineering, said the emissions inventory report was delayed by bad December weather that inhibited testing, but was now expected out by mid-March, with the health risk assessment to follow by the end of June.

Berkeley City Council member Linda Maio, who sat on a panel with alliance and air district members, said she felt encouraged by the fact that the BAAQMD sent top officials to the meeting, including Executive Officer Jack Broadbent, and that inspectors are responsive to complaints called in. "It used to be you would call BAAQMD, and they might come out the next day. I've noticed a sea change. The inspectors are coming out right away, and they are coming out at night," Maio said.

Pacific Steel representatives were not at Tuesday's meeting. Company spokesperson Dion Aroner said the officials invited had prior commitments on that date but would attend another community meeting organized by Maio for Feb. 15. at 7 p.m. at the West Berkeley Senior Center, 1900 Sixth Stree. Aroner said the company is investigating whether it can use less-toxic substances and still produce high-quality steel.

"This is a small company trying to deal with a lot of issues at the same time," Aroner said. "We've got to build it into a time frame that's workable. It a question of how many things the company can handle at one time, not just financially."

PSC plans to spend about $500,000 to complete the health risk assessment it has agreed to, and another $2 million on the carbon-filtration system for Plant 3, she said. PSC is focusing its attention on Plant 3, where production is at a much higher capacity than ever before, and where it believes increased odors are coming from, Aroner said.

Overall, the company has 550 union jobs, up from about 150 to 200 union jobs in the early 1990s. Some community members called on air district officials Tuesday to justify an agreement with the company that allows higher production levels than the foundry was otherwise permitted for.

"It seems to be a back-door agreement to increase toxic emissions," Bradley Angel, of GreenAction for Health & Environmental Justice, said. Aroner said later the increase was an adjustment meant to update the company permit in keeping with current allowable standards.

Mayor Tom Bates attended the meeting, showing support for community members demanding solutions to the air pollutants that have plagued them for years. "Information is the key. I pledge I will do everything I can to make sure we get the information," Bates said. "Everybody should be able to go into the yard, play with their kids, hang the laundry, and not be nauseated."

source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/alameda_county/berkeley/13782177.html 6feb2006