>> 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