>> SENATOR DICK DURBIN WANTS

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ELEVATED

LEVELS OF MANGANESE ON THE

SOUTHEAST SIDE.

HE SENT LETTERS TO THE CDC AND

SH BELL THAT STORES MANGANESE

AND MATERIALS IN SOUTHEAST

CHICAGO.

HE IS URGING THE EPA TO RESTORE

AIR QUALITY MONITORS AT

CHICAGO'S PETROLEUM COKE STORAGE

FACILITY AND ASKING THE CDC TO

RESEARCH THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF

MANGANESE DUST WRITING...

DURBIN WANTS TO KNOW WHAT STEPS

SH BELL IS TAKING TO PROTECT

PUBLIC HEALTH.

TWO SIDES HAVE BEEN LINKED TO

MANGANESE DUST.

SH BELL AND A FORMER KINDER

MORGAN KINDER FACILITY.

SEVERAL ADVOCACY GROUPS ARE

CALLING FOR A BAN ON MANGANESE

STORAGE FOR MORE WE TURN TO

JESSICA SHARROW THOMPSON, SHE IS

SH BELL'S LEGAL COUNSEL.

Dr. JULIE MORITA COMMISSIONERS

OF THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MELEAH

GEERTSMAN, SENIOR ATTORNEY WITH

THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE

COUNCIL AND WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT

YOU THINK.

TWEET US YOUR THOUGHTS...

>> AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING

HERE.

MELEAH GEERTSMAN WHAT ARE SOME

OF THE HEALTH CONCERNS ABOUT

MANGANESE?

>> SURE.

MANGANESE IS A KNOWN NEUROTOXIN.

IT IS A ELEMENT THAT DOES EXIST

IN NATURAL SURROUNDING BUT WHEN

INHALED BY HUMAN BEINGS, IT'S

BEEN LINKED TO SYMPTOMS THAT ARE

SAID TO BE LIKE PARKINSON'S

DISEASE.

>> AND JESSICA SHARROW THOMPSON,

DO YOU AGREE THAT MANGANESE CAN

POSE A DANGER OF THE KIND THAT

MELEAH GEERTSMAN DESCRIBED?

>> ONLY WHEN IT'S EXTREMELY AT

VERY HIGH LEVELS.

AND LUCKILY ALL AVAILABLE DATA

IN THE SOUTHEAST CHICAGO AREA

FROM THE MONITORS SHOWS THE

LEVELS ARE BELOW ANY CONCERN.

SO THERE IS NO RISK TO THE

COMMUNITY.

>> MELEAH GEERTSMAN DO YOU AGREE

THAT THE CURRENT LEVELS ARE

SAFE?

>> I THINK INDUSTRY WOULD LIKE

PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THERE ARE

LINES WE CAN DRAW BETWEEN SAFE

AND UNSAFE LEVELS.

MANGANESE IS A HEAVY METAL.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ALL OF

THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE IS

SHOWING MORE AND MORE CONCERNS

FOR HEALTH EFFECTS FROM

MANGANESE AT LOWER LEVELS AND

THAT MORE OF THE LIMITATION IN

OUR UNDERSTANDING IS BECAUSE WE

HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MEASURE

EXACTLY THE WAYS IN WHICH

MANGANESE IS AFFECTING HUMAN

HEALTH BUT THAT THERE ARE

REASONS TO BELIEVE THE CURRENT

THRESHOLDS BEING USED ARE NOT

ENTIRELY PROTECTIVE.

AND THIS WAS BASED ON A

CONVERSATION THAT I HAD RECENTLY

WITH A NEUROLOGIST, A RESEARCHER

ON THE TOPIC AT WASHINGTON

UNIVERSITY ALONG WITH OTHER

PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALISTS AT

OTHER UNIVERSITIES.

>> Dr. JULIE MORITA DO YOU

THINK THAT MANGANESE POSES A

POTENTIAL DANGER TO THE PEOPLE

ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE AT THE

CURRENT LEVELS THAT THE ARE

BEING FOUND?

>> I THINK AS MELEAH GEERTSMAN

MENTIONED WE KNOW THAT MANGANESE

IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT AND

SMALL AMOUNTS ARE NECESSARY FOR

US TO BE HEALTHY.

BUT WE DON'T --

THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT HIGHER

LEVELS OF MANGANESE THAT PEOPLE

CAN DEVELOP NEUROLOGICAL

SYMPTOMS LIKE PARKINSON'S.

WE ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE THERE

WERE ELEVATED LEVELS NOTED IN

THE PAST.

AND AS A RESULT THE CITY HAS

BEEN PRO-ACTIVE AND WE HAVE

CONSULTED WITH AN AGENCY TO LOOK

AT POTENTIAL SOURCES OF

MANGANESE IN THE COMMUNITY AND

TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH IS THERE.

>> SAFE TO SAY RIGHT NOW THE

NOTION OF WHAT LEVELS MIGHT BE

SAFE OR DANGEROUS ARE STILL

EVOLVING AND IN DISPUTE.

JESSICA SHARROW THOMPSON, HOW

DOES A COMPANY REACT TO SENATOR

DURBIN'S CALL FOR THE CDC TO

INVESTIGATE?

>> THE COMPANY WELCOMES THE CDC

TO INVESTIGATE BECAUSE UNDER

CDC'S AND EPA'S CURRENT BEST

AVAILABLE SCIENCE SET DURING THE

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION LOOKING AT

DECADES OF MANGANESE RESEARCH

WILL SHOW THAT THE CURRENT

LEVELS AND THE LEVELS FROM ALL

AVAILABLE MONITORS IN THE AREA

ARE BELOW THE SCREENING

THRESHOLDS AND WE ARE TALKING

ABOUT CONSERVATIVE THRESHOLDS

THAT ARE HUNDREDS TIMES LESS

THAN THE LEVELS THAT HAVE BEEN

SHOWN TO CAUSE ANY HEALTH

PROBLEMS IN HUMANS.

SO WE WELCOME THE CDC

INVESTIGATION.

I THINK YOU KNOW IT WILL HELP

SHOW THAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE

NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT.

AND MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.

>> MELEAH GEERTSMAN, IS THE

SENATOR'S CALL FOR AN

INVESTIGATION WARRANTED?

>> I THINK WE WELCOME THE

SENATOR'S DIRECTIVE TO DO A

STUDY.

I THINK WE DO HAVE CONCERNS AS

WELL THAT THERE IS ONGOING

RESEARCH RIGHT NOW WHOSE RESULTS

MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN TIME TO

INFORM THAT STUDY.

AND WE ALSO HOPE THAT THE CDC

WILL PRODUCE THE STUDY FASTER

THAN IT DID WITH REGARDS TO

PETCOKE AS IT TOOK THE AGENCY

THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE IT.

SO I THINK WE WELCOME THE STUDY.

WE HOPE THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR

NEW RESEARCH IS TAKEN INTO

ACCOUNT IN THE STUDY AND AGAIN

WE HOPE IT'S DONE ON A MORE

TIMELY BASIS BECAUSE CHILDREN'S

HEALTH IS AT RISK.

>> MY UNDERSTAND SOMETHING THAT

YOUR ORGANIZATION IS SUPPORTING

THE RESIDENTS' CALL FOR A BAN ON

MANGANESE.

WHY A BAN?

>> WELL, I THINK TO GIVE YOU A

SENSE OF OUR CONCERNS, IT'S

HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND THE SITES

THEMSELVES.

THESE ARE VERY, VARIED OUTSIDE

OPERATIONS.

YOU HAVE BUILDINGS.

YOU HAVE PILES.

YOU HAVE DOZER AND RAIL CARS AND

TRUCKS AND IT'S LOCATED NEXT TO

A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

YOU HAVE CHILDREN PLAYING AT THE

PROPERTY BOUNDARY.

AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE WITH HOUSES

WITH YELLOW CONTINUINGS ON THEM

ACROSS THE STREET.

RECOGNIZING THAT DUST IS NOT THE

EASIEST THING TO CONTROL AND

THAT THE COMPANY HAS NOT

COMMITTED TO FULLY ENCLOSE OR

COMPLETELY CONTROL THE DUST FROM

THE SITE, I THINK WE HAVE

ONGOING CONCERNS THAT THIS IS

JUST NOT THE LOCATION FOR THE

OPERATION.

>> HOW ABOUT IT?

WHY NOT COVER THE MANGANESE

SOURCE JUST ENCLOSE IT?

>> SH BELL COMMITTED TO GO ABOVE

AND BEYOND THE CITY OF CHICAGO'S

BULK MATERIAL REGULATIONS AND

COMMITTED TO STORING ALL INSIDE.

THEY ARE COMMITTED TO BEGIN

COMPLIANCE AND THEY ARE IN

COMPLIANCE AND GOING ABOVE AND

BEYOND TO STORE ALL THE DUSTY

MANGANESE MATERIALS.

>> Dr. JULIE MORITA IS THAT

RIGHT?

IS THE COMPANY ENCLOSING ALL THE

POTENTIAL SOURCES OF MANGANESE?

>> THE CITY HAS BEEN TAKEN A

HARD STANCE ON PROTECTING THE

ENVIRONMENT.

WE WANT TO MAKE THE ENVIRONMENT

SAFE SO WE CAN PROMOTE HEALTH

THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

IF YOU LOOK BACK AT WHAT WE DID

WITH PETCOKE, WE PARTNERED WITH

THE U.S. EPA AND THE CDC TO ASK

THEM TO CONDUCT STUDIES AND

ACTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE

REGULATIONS WERE PUT IN PLACE TO

CONTROL THE DUST IN THE PETCOKE

THAT WAS RELEASED.

AND WE ARE PRO-ACTIVE WITH THIS

AS WELL WITH SH BELL AND

ENTITIES TO SEE ARE THEY THE

SOURCE?

IS THE LEVEL OF CONCERN SO WE

CAN ESTABLISH REGULATIONS.

>> IS SH BELL THE SOURCE OF THIS

MANGANESE?

>> PART OF OUR WORK IS TO

DETERMINE OTHER SOURCES AS WELL

AS TO LOOK AT SH BELL AS A

SOURCE.

IT'S PREMATURE TO SAY IT'S ONE

SOURCE IN PARTICULAR.

>> MELEAH GEERTSMAN IN TERMS OF

THE ORIGIN OF THE YELLOW DUST IS

IT BELL OR SOMEBODY ELSE?

>> WE HAVE NOT CONCLUDED THAT NO

ONE ELSE IS RESPONSIBLE BUT MY

UNDERSTANDING FROM DISCUSSIONS

WITH THE AGENCIES WHO HAVE BEEN

LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE THE AIR

MONITORING DATA AND THE WIND

INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE THEY

SEEM CONFIDENT THAT SH BELL IS A

SIGNIFICANT SOURCE.

AND I WANTED TO ADDRESS THE

COMMENT THAT SH BELL HAS GONE

ABOVE AND BEYOND.

I DO NOT DISAGREE BUT THEY HAVE

NOT FULLY ENCLOSED OR COMMITTED

TO FULLY CONTROLLING ALL OF THE

SOURCES OF DUST.

AN OPEN BARGE WITH LARGE PILES

OF MANGANESE ON IT, THEY ARE

MOVING THAT WITH A EXCAVATOR.

IN THE OPEN AIR.

AND WHILE THEY ARE TAKING SOME

STEPS TO CONTROL THAT IT IS

STILL AN OUTDOOR OPERATION THAT

WE THINK HAS RISKS OF CREATING

DUST.

>> IS IT PART AN OUTDOOR

OPERATION?

>> THE YELLOW DUST THAT YOU

MENTIONED THERE IS NO EVIDENCE

THAT COMES FROM MANGANESE, I

WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.

SULFUR DIOXIDE BUT NO EVIDENCE

IT COMES FROM MANGANESE.

>> QUICK RESPONSE TO THAT?

>> I HAD NOT HEARD THAT ASSERTED

BEFORE.

MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THEY

DO BELIEVE AND U.S. EPA DID

SWIPES ON HOMES IN THE AREA AND

FOUND ELEVATED LEVELS OF

MANGANESE IN THE SWINGS IN THE

TESTS.

I'M NOT SURE WHICH LACK OF

INFORMATION JESSICA IS REFERRING

TO.

BUT MY UNDERSTANDING THERE IS

DATA SUPPORTING THAT IS

MANGANESE.

>> Dr. JULIE MORITA WHAT IS

THE CITY'S POSITION IN TERMS OF

THE YELLOW DUST COMING FROM

BELL?

>> WE DON'T HAVE DEFINITIVE

INFORMATION IF IT IS MANGANESE

BUT PART OF WHAT OUR STUDY IS

COMMITTED TO DOING UNDERSTANDING

IF THERE IS MANGANESE BEING

RELEASED AND WHAT ARE THE

SOURCES AND DO THEY POSE A RISK

TO HEALTH WE ARE COMMITTED TO

DOING THAT.

AND WHEN WE HAVE THAT

INFORMATION WE WILL TAKE ACTIONS

AS NECESSARY.

>> MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU

REJECTED SH BELL'S PLAN TO

CONTROL EMISSIONS BACK IN MARCH.

REMIND US WHAT CONCERNS YOU HAD.

>> THERE WERE DETAILS THAT WERE

LACKING IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC

MEASURES THAT WOULD ELIMINATE

THE RISK FOR EXPOSURE.

AND SO WE MADE SPECIFIC

RECOMMENDATIONS TO SH BELL TO

PROVIDE US WITH MORE DETAIL AND

WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM ON

SHORING UP THE PLAN.

>> HAS SH BELL RESUBMITTED A

PLAN?

>> YES, I BELIEVE IN MAY OR

EARLIER THAN THAT.

BUT WE SUBMITTED A REVISED PLAN

IN RESPONSE TO THE CITY'S

FOLLOW-UP LETTER ON THE

ADDITIONAL CONTROLS AND MEASURES

THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

SOME AGAIN WENT ABOVE THE CITY

OF CHICAGO REGULATIONS AND SH

BELL WAS HAPPY TO COMMIT TO SOME

OF THESE ADDITIONAL CONTROLS.

IN ADDITION TO BEING FULLY

COMPLIANT WITH THE CURRENT CITY

OF CHICAGO BULK MATERIAL

REGULATIONS AND A LOT OF THE

ABOVE AND BEYOND CONTROLS ARE

GOING TOWARDS THE CONCERNS

REGARDING MANGANESE.

>> YOU INDICATED THAT YOU WERE

IN FAVOR OF A TOTAL BAN.

ARE THERE OTHER STEPS YOU WOULD

LIKE TO SEE TAKEN SHORT OF A

BAN?

>> I WANT TO FIRST ADDRESS

SOMETHING BIGGER THAN A TOTAL

BAN.

ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE

TIP-TOEING AROUND IS THE NATURE

OF THE INDUSTRIAL AREAS IN WHICH

SH BELL IS LOCATED.

I THINK THERE'S SIGNIFICANT

CONCERN WITHIN THE COMMUNITY

THAT THIS IS NOT JUST A SINGLE

FACILITY PROBLEM THAT THESE

INDUSTRIAL AREAS HAVE MANY

COMPANIES THAT ARE CREATING

POLLUTION PROBLEMS AND THERE IS

CURRENTLY NO REQUIREMENT WITHIN

ANY OF THE APPLICABLE LOCAL,

STATE OR FEDERAL LAWS THAT FULLY

TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE

COMMUNITIVE BURDENS THAT THE ARE

FALLING ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL

JUSTICE COMMUNITIES.

BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT DO

WE BAN THIS SUBSTANCE AND NOT

BAN THAT SUBSTANCE WE HAVE TO

HAVE A CONVERSATION WHAT DO WE

DO ABOUT PLACES WITH PETCOKE ON

ONE SIDE OF THE RIVER AND

PETCOKE ACROSS THE STREET AND

MANGANESE HERE, AND MEDICAL AT

THAT TIMES RECYCLING AND

CONCRETE MANUFACTURERS HERE.

IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE

NOT VISITED THE SOUTHEAST SIDE

TO SEE THIS AREA BUT IT DOESN'T

LOOK LIKE WHAT YOU IMAGINE TO

EXIST IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO IN

THE YEAR 2017.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A

THIRD WORLD COUNTRY.

AND I THINK THE BIGGER ISSUE WE

NEED TO BE TACKLING WE NEED THE

CITY TO ACT ON ESPECIALLY NOW

THAT WE CANNOT RELY ON THE

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TO COME UP

WITH A PLAN TO ADDRESS THESE

LAND USE PROBLEMS AND THIS

ONGOING ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION.

>> Dr. JULIE MORITA IS THE

CITY DOING SOMETHING LOOKING AT

THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT GO

INTO A POTENTIALLY TOXIC

NEIGHBORHOOD?

>> SO THE MAYOR IS COMMITTED TO

ASSURING A SAFE AND CLEAN

ENVIRONMENT FOR THE RESIDENTS OF

CHICAGO.

AND IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE

PROGRESS WITH PETCOKE IS A GREAT

EXAMPLE.

THE BULK MATERIAL REGULATIONS

ISSUED IN 2014 ARE AMONG THE

STRONGEST IN THE NATION AND

PETCOKE PILES ARE NO LONGER

THERE IS NO PETCOKE STORED IN

CHICAGO.

YEARS AGO THERE WAS PETCOKE

STORAGE ALL WE HAVE IS ONE

TRANSPORT STATION WHICH IS A

HUGE IMPROVEMENT.

THERE'S EVIDENCE OF THE

COMMITMENT ON THE MAYOR'S PART

TO MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

THE BULK MATERIALS REGULATIONS

ARE GENERAL RELATED TO DUST AS

WE HAVE GOTTEN INFORMATION AS IT

RELATES TO MANGANESE WE ARE

LOOKING AT SPECIFIC EVALUATIONS

TO LOOK AT SOURCES OF MANGANESE

AS MORE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

BECOMES AVAILABLE WE WILL DO

FURTHER EVALUATIONS AND

INVESTIGATE.

OUR GOAL IS TO PROTECT AND

INSURE THE HEALTH OF OUR