Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails Evaluates 8 DRUM Monitor |
BCSET compares 8 DRUM Data with California Air Resources Board FRM data at 13th and T Street Site Under the leadership of the Breathe California's Health Effects Task Force, this one year side by side monitoring study was sanctioned by the California Air Resources Board and conducted at its 13th and T Street site. The study compares mass data collected by the U.C. Davis rotating drum impactor (8 DRUM) with ARB's standard mass monitoring measurements (FRM) required by law. The study showed that the 8 DRUM monitor proved to be a cost effective way to obtain important additional data for health and regulatory needs, while being accurately comparable to the ARB's mass measurements. In particular, the U.C. Davis 8 DRUM provided vital new data about ultrafine particulate matter which research now confirms is capable of deep lung deposition, and heart and brain impacts. For more details, you may visit the BCSET website at sacbreathe.org. |
Metro Chamber hosts advocacy day at State Capitol |
Annual State Legislative Summit brings regional business leaders together
On June 10th the Sacramento Metro Chamber's annual State Legislative Summit attracted more than 150 top business and civic leaders from the six-county region. In more than 80 meetings with senators, assembly members and top government officials, they gave voice to changes that will help their businesses towards more success. "The Legislative Summit mirrors the Metro Chamber's Cap-to-Cap effort," said event chair Bruce Starkweather of Lionakis. "For our region to succeed in receiving its fair share of state funds, we have to make our case more strongly than the state's more populated areas. Thankfully, our region has a core of committed, hard-working business and civic leaders willing to prepare for this one day of advocacy that requires many hours and meetings preparation." For more information regarding the policy papers from this event, please contact the Metro Chamber Public Policy and Advocacy Team at policy@metrochamber.org. |
Results for the 2008 - 2009 Season Check Before You Burn Program |
Program brings improved public awareness and air quality, falls short of the federal health standard
The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District's Check Before You Burn program ended its second season on February 28. This regulation prohibits wood burning throughout Sacramento County and its cities including Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt, Isleton, Rancho Cordova, and Sacramento from November to February on poor air quality days. Thanks to partnerships with community groups and local weathercasters, tremendous public awareness and support has been achieved in a short time - 92 percent of those surveyed knew about burning restrictions and up to 52 percent reduced burning when required. These efforts achieved significant air quality benefits - reducing fine particle pollution up to 23 percent, with the greatest benefits in the evening hours. While those reductions are impressive, they're not enough to achieve the federal health standard. In particular, on days when EPA certified devices and pellet stoves are exempt from burning restrictions the benefits are 13 percent lower, and 84 percent of owners didn't use the exemption. The AQMD plans to workshop rule changes in July 2009 and seek board approval in September. |