Date
Monday, April 12, 2021
The Air District is announcing the release of the draft health risk assessment for the AB&I Foundry, which is designed to identify and reduce health risks resulting from the facility’s emissions.
The draft health risk assessment, required by Air District Rule 11-18, indicates that emissions from the AB&I Foundry in East Oakland pose an elevated health risk that requires the facility to submit a risk reduction plan to the Air District and to implement measures to reduce air pollution exposure to the surrounding community.
Under Rule 11-18, Reduction of Risk from Air Toxic Emissions at Existing Facilities, existing facilities are required to take all necessary measures to reduce health and cancer risks resulting from their operations. Adopted in 2017, Rule 11-18 is the most health-protective toxic air pollution risk control measure in the nation.
The public will have 60 days to review and provide input on the health risk assessment. Air District staff will respond to all comments before finalizing the report. The health risk assessment and staff contact information is available on the Air District's Rule 11-18 Risk Reduction Facilities web page.
Rule 11-18 was developed to ensure that emissions of toxic air pollutants from existing facilities do not pose an unacceptable health risk to communities. The Air District assesses local health risk using models that incorporate cutting-edge science from the State of California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment on the impacts of toxic air pollution on people living and working nearby.
The AB&I Foundry was last inspected on September 3, 2020, and was found to be in compliance with its current permit conditions. The facility has begun implementing improvements to reduce air pollution impacts and minimize odors.
East Oakland is also one of several communities slated for additional actions to improve air quality under the AB 617 program, which directs local air districts to work with heavily impacted communities on emission reduction programs and/or air quality monitoring campaigns. This community has higher levels of environmental exposures and more significant health burdens compared to other parts of the Bay Area. Building partnerships and developing a shared understanding of local air quality issues, combined with lessons learned from the development of the West Oakland community emissions reduction plan, will provide a strong foundation for improving air quality and health in East Oakland.
.Last Updated: 4/12/2021